What to Do When Your Household Fire Alarm is Making Noises

2/10/2022 (Permalink)

This is your reminder to change the batteries in your residential fire detectors.

The shrill sound of your home fire alarm going off in Sun City Summerlin, NV, can evoke feelings of fear and panic. That is why they are so effective. But it can be irritating when no fire is present and the unit is still making noise. Taking out the batteries to quiet it would leave you unprotected against fire damage.

When an alarm chirps repeatedly, it is usually because it requires some kind of attention. The batteries may be low, the unit may require cleaning, or it may have outlived its usefulness. Here are some steps to troubleshoot the unit.

What To Do if Your Fire Alarm Is Chirping

1. Reset: Perform a reset by disconnecting the power source, removing the batteries and holding the test button for 15 to 20 seconds. Replace the batteries and reconnect the power supply.

2. Change Batteries: If it is still chirping, it could be low battery power. Put in fresh batteries and see if that helps. This should be done every six months or so anyway for optimum performance.

3. Clean it: Smoke damage from a previous fire or cooking smoke can leave the sensor dirty and ineffective. Gently clear away any dust, cobwebs, sawdust or other debris from all openings.

4. Test: Remove the batteries and push the test button with no batteries in place. This can help if the silent button was pushed by someone who was irritated with the noise, or by accident.

5. Replace: The average lifespan of a smoke detector is eight years. If it has been longer, or if the above steps failed to stop the chirping, it has likely failed and needs to be replaced.

If your alarm fails to warn you, you could have a disaster on your hands, requiring the help of emergency restoration experts in Sun City Summerlin, NV, and a long and drawn out process. A properly working fire alarm can help you have peace of mind and avoid extensive fire and smoke damage.