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.
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 smoke alarm is desensitized by pushing the Test/Hush button on the smoke alarm cover. If the smoke is not too dense, the alarm will silence immediately and the red LED blinks every 10 seconds. This indicates that the alarm is in a temporarily desensitized condition.
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.
If you want to manually reset the smoke detector so that the red blinking light will stop, you can press the test/silence button for a few seconds. If your device includes a keypad press “*72” or if your smoke detector is hardwired, look for a reset button to push and hold for 20 seconds.
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.
Flashing Red is Good on Many Models
However, on most smoke detectors, it is a good sign. Red flashing on some smoke alarms signals that all is well and it is working.
Try a manual reset: if the above still does not work, you may have to perform a full manual reset. For battery-only detectors, you will need to remove the detector's batteries, then hold the reset button down for 15-20 seconds. Replace the batteries and reconnect the detector.
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.
If this happens, you must replace the batteries in your smoke detector. We recommend retesting the detector once the batteries have been changed.
Some smoke alarms also double as carbon monoxide detectors. When it gets cold outside, it's normal for people to crank up the heat. Furnaces, space heaters, fireplaces — these are some solutions to warming up a home.
Dust, Dirt and Environmental Smoke
Dust and dirt that comes from activities like remodeling may set off your smoke alarms. To clean your smoke alarm, open it up carefully, and look inside for dust or dirt. Use a vacuum attachment or electronic aerosol cleaner to remove dust particles.
Low batteries
It is a very simple cause but it can be one of the most annoying, as your smoke detector will 'chirp' once a minute when your battery starts getting weak and needs replacing. It is recommended to change a smoke detector's batteries every 12 months.
Furthermore, you should put the smoke alarm's AC power converter into a new outlet to avoid any potential problems with the existing one. Power sources can occasionally fail, causing your alarm to beep even when no batteries are present.
How to maintain and when to replace. Like coupons and canned goods, smoke alarms have an expiration date. "They have a life of 10 years," Roux says. "But, if it has a built-in CO detector, you'll need to replace it sooner." According to Consumer Reports, most CO detectors come with a five- to seven-year warranty.
A solid green light on your smoke detector indicates that the device is on and operating normally.
But most smoke detectors are instead designed to go off when their electrical current goes down. That's because smoke in the air will reduce the current. If your battery is dying, the current that's flowing through your sensor also goes down. And so you can get a false positive.
If your alarm is hardwired into your home's electrical system, replace the backup battery at least every 6 months and replace the smoke alarm itself once every 10 years.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends changing the batteries in your smoke detectors every 6 months.
Phantom fire alarms? You might have a spider problem. Is your smoke alarm going off even though there's no smoke or fire to trigger it? If you open the smoke detector (or have someone else do it), you might find the culprit: spiders!