DIY & Home Improvement

TygrBright

(20,987 posts) Sun Nov 15, 2020, 04:31 PM Nov 2020

Smoke detector chirping insanity

Last night we had a power outage. And one of the smoke detectors (we have eight - three downstairs and five upstairs) began to chirp. "We'll sort it when the power is back on/in the morning/whatever" and we went to bed.

This morning it was still chirping. Mounted the stepstool and pushed the test/reset button. Still chirping.

Changed the battery. Still chirping.

Read the instructions. Consulted the Intertoobs.

Cleaned it out with canned air. Still chirping.

Tried a different battery. Still chirping.

Disconnected and reconnected the unit. Still chirping.

Tried yet another battery. Stopped chirping. For a few moments. Then...

Another one of the upstairs smoke detectors began chirping.

And then the one that was originally chirping joined in.

Changed the battery on the newly-chirping one. Still chirping.

Used the canned air. Still chirping.

Tried yet another battery. Still chirping.

Disconnected and reconnected it. Still chirping.

Tried yet another battery. Still chirping.

They're both still chirping, on the once-per-minute schedule that the manufacturer's instructions claim means "depleted battery" but the batteries we were using are Duracell 9-volts purchased at Costco in September of this year and they claim they're good in storage for five years.

They're still chirping... One and then the other. Pause. Chirp... chirp...

I've exhausted my ingenuity.

Suggestions?

Anyone??

wearily,
Bright

15 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Smoke detector chirping insanity (Original Post) TygrBright Nov 2020 OP

A hammer sometimes works. ret5hd Nov 2020 #1

Power surge? LSFL Nov 2020 #2

Sounds like it got hit with a power surge when Phoenix61 Nov 2020 #3

replace them mercuryblues Nov 2020 #4

i know pamdb Nov 2020 #5

Are they Hard Wired? montanacowboy Nov 2020 #6

Had the same problem REPUguy Nov 2020 #7

Did the temperature in the room you were in drop? Blue_true Nov 2020 #15

If they are daisy chained wired detectors with battery backup they are a pain. CentralMass Nov 2020 #8

That's exactly what they are - two circuits, one up and one down. TygrBright Nov 2020 #11

Do you have a gun? Doreen Nov 2020 #9

I had a smoke alarm start screaming at me PoindexterOglethorpe Nov 2020 #10

Had the same experience packman Nov 2020 #12

They are singing for joy with trump's loss. The planet is healing! Hassin Bin Sober Nov 2020 #13

LOL n/t pengillian101 Nov 2020 #14

ret5hd

(21,320 posts)

1. A hammer sometimes works.

Reply to TygrBright (Original post)

Sun Nov 15, 2020, 04:33 PM

Nov 2020

LSFL

(1,112 posts)

2. Power surge?

Reply to TygrBright (Original post)

Sun Nov 15, 2020, 04:34 PM

Nov 2020

They seem to be damaged..

Phoenix61

(17,641 posts)

3. Sounds like it got hit with a power surge when

Reply to TygrBright (Original post)

Sun Nov 15, 2020, 04:35 PM

Nov 2020

the power came back on. I’d replace it.

mercuryblues

(15,099 posts)

4. replace them

Reply to TygrBright (Original post)

Sun Nov 15, 2020, 04:36 PM

Nov 2020

they probably shorted out when the power came back on. Trust me, that is the only way. Buy a few extra detectors to have on hand. If yours are like mine more will go in the next few years.

pamdb

(1,369 posts)

5. i know

Reply to TygrBright (Original post)

Sun Nov 15, 2020, 04:37 PM

Nov 2020

hammer

montanacowboy

(6,300 posts)

6. Are they Hard Wired?

Reply to TygrBright (Original post)

Sun Nov 15, 2020, 04:51 PM

Nov 2020

We had the same thing, ours were hard wired. Had to change out everything, went through hell and our dogs went crazy.

REPUguy

(93 posts)

7. Had the same problem

Reply to TygrBright (Original post)

Sun Nov 15, 2020, 04:58 PM

Nov 2020

We installed 5 new detectors when we had solar installed. About a year or so later they began acting exactly the same as yours did. One by one they began to act up and always between 3 and 4 in the morning.This all happened in the same week. I don't think anyone but my wife believed me, it was just too weird.
BTW, if they are all battery operated as mine were. they are not affected by household electricity

Blue_true

(31,261 posts)

15. Did the temperature in the room you were in drop?

Reply to REPUguy (Reply #7)

Mon Nov 30, 2020, 11:05 PM

Nov 2020

Did you see strange shadows moving or hear low, other worldly noises. It was 4am, maybe the smoke detectors were detecting a visit from the beyond. What is the history of the house that you were in?

CentralMass

(15,537 posts)

8. If they are daisy chained wired detectors with battery backup they are a pain.

Reply to TygrBright (Original post)

Sun Nov 15, 2020, 05:00 PM

Nov 2020

In MA I had a multistory home with 3 bathrooms (4 counting the one in the basement and according to code, a $hitload of smoke detectors all daisy chained on the same circuit. The last time that I chased the phantom chirp it turned out to be the one in basement over our furnace.

TygrBright

(20,987 posts)

11. That's exactly what they are - two circuits, one up and one down.

Reply to CentralMass (Reply #8)

Sun Nov 15, 2020, 05:26 PM

Nov 2020

The one that started everything off is the "master" unit for the upstairs circuit.

I will try swapping it for a new unit. We replaced all 3 on the downstairs circuit last year.

The hard-wired with battery backup is supposed to be the "best" solution for safety but it's a royal pain in the butt when something goes wrong with any of the units.

irritatedly,
Bright

Doreen

(11,686 posts)

9. Do you have a gun?

Reply to TygrBright (Original post)

Sun Nov 15, 2020, 05:01 PM

Nov 2020

If mine starts going off I have to wait until the maintenance guy is at my complex. I can't stand on a ladder. They always start at night and on the weekend. If one starts the other one joins in after not to long. Good luck with shutting the off.

PoindexterOglethorpe

(26,727 posts)

10. I had a smoke alarm start screaming at me

Reply to TygrBright (Original post)

Sun Nov 15, 2020, 05:24 PM

Nov 2020

and wouldn't stop until I turned off the power to the house. I was able to persuade local fire department to come and take the thing down, something I couldn't do as it was about 18 feet up on a high wall, and I had no ladder. Apparently it was old enough that something had shorted out. I eventually got new smoke detectors.