The battery may need to be replaced. An alarm will chirp every 30 to 60 seconds for a minimum of seven days. With a "low battery" announcement, disconnect the unit and replace the batteries.
Most battery powered smoke detectors will beep for a minimum of 30 days before the battery dies. You'll know the battery is losing charge if you hear consistent beeping every 30 to 60 seconds.
Low Battery
As the battery in a smoke alarm becomes weak, the smoke alarm will "chirp" about once a minute to alert you that the battery needs to be replaced. Note: Only the alarm with a low battery will chirp. No signal is sent through the interconnect wire. The other alarms will be silent.
This battery characteristic can cause a smoke alarm to enter the low battery chirp mode when air temperatures drop. Most homes are the coolest between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. That's why the alarm may sound a low-battery chirp in the middle of the night, and then stop when the home warms up a few degrees.
The "HUSH" feature has the capability to temporarily desensitize the smoke alarm circuit for approximately 7 minutes. This feature is to be used only when a known alarm condition, such as smoke from cooking, activates the alarm. The smoke alarm is desensitized by pushing the "HUSH" button on the smoke alarm cover.
If your smoke alarm is chirping even though it has a new battery, try these troubleshooting steps to clear out residual charge from the old battery. Remove the alarm from your ceiling or wall. Open the cover and take out the battery. Press and hold the test button for 15-30 seconds.
The most likely reason smoke detectors go off unexpectedly is that people aren't changing the batteries in them often enough. In most sensors you might think of, the strength of the signal goes up when they detect what they're supposed to.
Your alarm manufacturer may have included a blinking red light to let you know it's time to test the alarm again. The Batteries are Low: Usually accompanied by a loud beep, a blinking red light could mean the batteries in the unit are low. Consider adding fresh batteries and running a test to make sure it's working.
The most likely reason smoke detectors go off unexpectedly is that people aren't changing the batteries in them often enough. In most sensors you might think of, the strength of the signal goes up when they detect what they're supposed to.
A smoke alarm will eventually stop chirping if you do nothing. Once the battery has run out completely, the device will switch to residual power. Eventually, this will also drain and the device won't have enough power to beep and let you know it's out of power. You should change the battery before this happens.
What does it mean? This is the power indicator light: First Alert and BRK alarms have a power indicator light to show you that your alarm is receiving power. Some alarms have a red or green light that blinks every few minutes, while other models blink rapidly or shine a solid light.
Many carbon monoxide and smoke detectors come with a “Hush” feature, which will stop the beeping for 72 hours. To silence the beeping, press and hold the “Hush” or “Test” button. The system will chirp to let you know the command is accepted, and you will have 72 before it begins again.
A blinking red light on a smoke detector is rarely cause for alarm. Instead, it usually means that the battery is low, or the detector is in need of a minor repair. If you notice a blinking red light, replace the battery first – but only if you're sure that it's still good.
Fortunately, it's easy to cover a smoke detector and prevent it from going off at an inopportune time. Just place a strip of painter's tape over the unit's sensor chamber, or wrap it up with a shower cap or plastic bag and secure it with a rubber band.
Put a sock over the fire alarm
Simple but effective. Among your other room decorations, be sure to pack a spare fluffy sock with your fairy lights and fake IKEA plants. Sure, the sock won't get rid of the smell but at least you won't have to face the embarrassment of setting off the fire alarm and paying a fine.
Part 2 of 3: Installing a New Battery for Wired Detectors. Turn off power to your wired smoke detector. Wired smoke detectors are connected directly into the power supply of your house, which is sometimes also called the mains.
For most residential smoke detectors, blinks are common; you need to be conversant with the colors showing. Different smoke alarms use the green and red LED to indicate the device's power status such that a flashing green means low battery while a constant blink means AC power is connected.
The mains powered smoke alarms have a green indicator. Smoke Alarms have a red light that goes off every 40 to 60 seconds to tell you if they're working. When the smoke alarm is activated, the red light flashes continuously.
A solid green light on your smoke detector indicates that the device is on and operating normally.
If your alarms use regular batteries, swap in fresh batteries at least once a year. A “chirping” sound means that it's time to change batteries. Because alarm sensors wear out, replace each alarm at least every 10 years. Also, alarms have labels showing when they were made.
If your detector or alarm has a blinking or steady light with no audible alarm sound, this typically indicates that the unit is receiving power.
If this happens, you must replace the batteries in your smoke detector. We recommend retesting the detector once the batteries have been changed.