3 Chirps approx. every 20 seconds Off Off Condition: Sensor Trouble/Sensor End-of-Life Alarm. Recommendation: Reset the alarm. If this does not clear the problem, replace alarm.
3 chirps (about 1x per minute): Malfunction chirp
Replace with a new alarm as soon as possible. Check to ensure that your alarm is not expired and in need of replacement.
If your First Alert smoke alarm beeps 3 times after a new battery is installed, try replacing the battery first. If the issue persists, check to make sure that the battery drawer is sliding in and out easily and completely.
If the alarm does sound the smoke alarm pattern of 3 long beeps, check for fires first. If a fire is discovered, get out and call the fire department. If no fire is pres- ent, check to see if one of the reasons listed in “Locations to avoid” may have caused the alarm.
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.
Low Battery
As the battery in a smoke alarm gets weak, the smoke alarm will “chirp” about once a minute to let you know that the battery needs to be replaced. Note: Only the device with a low battery will chirp. The other interconnected alarms should be silent.
Smoke alarms alert you with three beeps in a row. Carbon monoxide alarms alert you with four beeps. A single chirp means the battery is low or the detector should be replaced.
While it's important to call 9-1-1 if your CO alarm is sounding continuously without stopping, a CO alarm that chirps every 30 seconds is not an emergency. It probably means your CO alarm has reached its end of life and should be replaced. CO alarms have a life expectancy of around seven years.
1 Beep Every Minute: Low Battery. It is time to replace the batteries in your carbon monoxide alarm. 5 Beeps Every Minute: End of Life. This chirp means it is time to replace your carbon monoxide alarm.
In domestic properties, your CO alarm can be triggered by any fuel burning appliance such as gas cookers, boilers and ovens. All of these appliances give off small traces of CO, but the levels can rise slightly when adequate ventilation isn't provided, or the venting is blocked or clogged by dust.
The CO alarm will sound if your sensor detects a high buildup of carbon monoxide in your home. Most people begin to feel the effects of carbon monoxide at 50 ppm, so be sure your detector can sense an amount of 50 ppm or less.
The only way to tell is to put your ear next to it and listen for the chirp. The smoke alarm, furnace alarm, or carbon monoxide alarm alarm is chirping every 30 seconds or so, but it's hard to tell which direction the sound is coming from.
A carbon monoxide detector is a must for any home and just as important as a smoke detector. CO detectors should be placed near all bedrooms; they're the only way you will know if carbon monoxide is affecting the air quality in your home, and can help prevent serious illness and even death.
If the carbon monoxide concentration in the air is much higher, signs of poisoning may occur within 1-2 hours. A very high carbon monoxide concentration can even kill an exposed individual within 5 minutes.
The CO alarm sounds if your sensor detects a buildup of carbon monoxide in your home—usually before you start sensing symptoms. With a low CO level (50 ppm), it may take up to eight hours for the alarm to go off. Higher carbon monoxide levels (over 150 ppm) can trigger an alarm within minutes.
1 beep every minute: This means that the detector has low batteries and you should replace them. 5 beeps every minute: This means your alarm has reached the end of its life and needs to be replaced with a new carbon monoxide alarm.
Carbon Monoxide Sources in the Home
CO is produced whenever a material burns. Homes with fuel-burning appliances or attached garages are more likely to have CO problems Common sources of CO in our homes include fuel-burning appliances and devices such as: Clothes dryers. Water heaters.
Carbon monoxide gas is colourless and does not smell, so you cannot tell if it is around you. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include: headache.
A carbon monoxide detector does not sound the same as a smoke detector. It sounds similar to the way a smoke detector beeps when it needs a battery replacement. It will beep at a regular rate to alert you of a carbon monoxide presence.
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.
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.
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.
Opening a window will slow carbon monoxide poisoning, but it likely won't stop it. There simply isn't enough airflow through most windows to get rid of the poisonous gas, and it could take between four and eight hours for the CO to dissipate entirely.
Self Checks/At-Home Testing
There isn't a self-diagnosis option for carbon monoxide poisoning, but anyone with confusion or a loss of consciousness should have 911 called for them.