Why is my smoke detector beeping?

As anyone that follows us on social media will know we are big advocates testing the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in your home.

This week I visited a client that seemed to be at their wits end with the safety alarms in her house. We attended the same day as we were called. The alarms were beeping every 20 minutes or so and had been for a few days, the owner of the house looked tired and frazzled

“They’ve been keeping me up at night” she sighed with sheer exhaustion “I was hoping they would just sort themselves out.”

Let me assure you with my years of experience within the industry, no problem will ever just sort itself out. Goodness knows we wish they did!!

There are a number of possible reasons why a Fire or Carbon Monoxide alarm could be beeping. The most important thing is to not ignore this, as they are warning signs of either a danger in the home or that an alarm needs maintenance.

What the beeps mean:

First and most obvious - If a smoke or heat alarm is emitting a full alarm sound there may be a fire present. You should evacuate the property and be absolutely sure there is no fire before returning. If in doubt, always assume there is a real fire present and take the necessary action.

If there is no fire present:

• Find the alarm with the red light rapidly flashing. Press its ‘Hush’ button to silence. If that doesn’t silence it, clean the alarm using a vacuum. Wait for 10 minutes and the issue should be resolved.

• Check for any cooking fumes or steam around this could be the reason behind the alarm fault – if so it may be incorrectly sited or the wrong sensor type for the area

Regular Single Beep from a smoke or heat alarm:

• If it is a regular single beep (approximately once every minute), then the battery may be running low and you may need to change the battery in the alarm.

• If the green power light is off – contact your local electrician to check wiring & connections

Irregular Beep from a smoke or heat alarm:

• Clean the alarms by vacuuming around them.

• There may be an issue with the wiring – contact your local electrician

A Carbon Monoxide alarm is sounding:

• There is likely to be Carbon Monoxide present. Turn off any gas appliances, open windows and doors and leave the property

• Ring the emergency number of the gas/fuel supplier

• Don’t enter the property until the alarm has stopped

Regular Single Beep or Irregular Beep from a Carbon Monoxide alarm:

• If the green light is off- contact your local electrician to check the wiring & connections

If you have a beeping alarm that is driving you mad then get expert help, Oak Electrics are experienced in installation of smoke, heat and carbon monoxide alarms. Our goal is to provide you with a simple but safe system that is easy for you to operate and maintain. Call us now on 01372 613063 to book your smoke detector replacement.