Category: Advice | Published: 19 Oct, 2017
Why is my electric fire alarm beeping?
Beep. Beep… it’s annoying when your smoke alarm just won’t stop making noise, but there are a range of different reasons why it could be making that beeping sound. Before we get into this blog, please be aware that it is absolutely illegal to switch off or intentionally break your fire alarm so that it no longer makes the sound.
Once you’ve discovered the reason why your hard wired smoke alarm is beeping, it’s important to ensure that fixing it will not impair the safety of you and your family in any way.
There are a variety of reasons why your smoke alarm could be making consistent beeping sounds, including:
- The smoke alarm battery may need to be replaced. This is the most common reason why it would be beeping, and will chirp every 30 to 60 seconds for seven days or more.
- If the alarm is chirping but also flashing its red LED light, it may be malfunctioning.
- This could be due to the ‘hush’ feature being set. The hush feature on your smoke alarm can be set to give the reason for the smoke, i.e. burnt toast, a chance to clear. In this case your smoke alarm will chirp every 30 to 40 seconds for approximately seven minutes.
It’s also worth noting that, if your smoke alarm is wireless, there could be interference from a system of the same brand nearby.
Smoke alarm maintenance
Here are some smoke alarm maintenance tips to keep everyone under your roof safe this winter. Test your smoke alarm no less than once a month. This will ensure that the battery and alarm sounder are operating as they should. It’s also a good way of familiarising everyone in your household to what the alarm will sound like if it detects smoke.
It’s also important to change batteries as and when they need changing. If you don’t know the type of battery that your smoke alarm requires, refer to the user’s manual.
Remember…
- Smoke alarms should never be painted
- Check the life expectancy of your smoke alarm. Many have a life expectancy of ten years, and need to be replaced after this time has passed, so this is worth looking at.
- If you have any further queries about your smoke alarm, contact the supplier.