How to Address a Chirping Fire Alarm

3/9/2021 (Permalink)

Keeping your home and the people in it safe is important, which is why you rely on a fire alarm as the first line of defense to avoid the need for fire damage and restoration professionals. While these devices are designed for early detection, they still require general maintenance. If an alarm starts chirping on its own, consider the following to determine if a fix or replacement is needed.

Inspection Steps

In most cases, a fire alarm that won’t stop beeping is a result of a battery issue. Below are steps to verify if that is the issue.

• Ensure the correct kind of battery has been installed.
• Verify that battery has not passed its use-by date.
• Inspect fitting to verify nothing is loose and the battery can be properly snapped into place.
• Take out the battery and put back in to check the connection is stable.
• Look for any loose wires that could be creating an echo.

Clean, Reset, Replace
Like with many other electronics in the home, dust and other particles can settle in an alarm’s sensing chamber. If the battery doesn’t seem to be the issue, it may be time to clean the alarm. This is an easy process that involves removing the alarm, cleaning the interior with compressed air and wiping down the outside with a damp cloth. After cleaning, press the silent test button to see if it beeps. If it continues to make steady noise, remove the batteries and test it again. If the problem persists, the best bet is to replace the smoke detector. If you know the alarm is more than 10 years old, it should always be replaced.
A fire alarm is an essential safety tool for every home. When a problem arises, such as steady beeping, addressing the issue is a much better solution than risking extensive fire and smoke damage in your home.