[TangerineFizz]

Ours is hard wired directly into our electrical in the house. I have always found this odd, but never questioned it.

Until last night's oddity occurred. I went to inflate our air bed for my mom, and when I plugged it in and turned it on, the smoke alarm beeped. Just one little chirp, but all the same, alarming. (no pun intended)

It did it again this morning when I was blow drying my hair.

I took the alarm off it's mount and remounted it, and it beeped like mad.

WTF? is going on? anyone had this?

Aim, is your house like this too?

 

[Hunter]

Is there a battery in there?

 

[Clanceycanuck]

Yeah thinking battery back up here too

 

[bearsdad]

They usually have a battery for backup if the AC goes down.. that battery is probably dead

 

[Allie]

Weird. Ours were hard wired but never worked at the old house (they did beep once when we lost power, but they never went off even if you held a candle right underneath it). At the new house we have one in the hallway by the kitchen and it goes off when you just open the freaking oven and it's so annoying.

 

[IzzyLucyWillie]

(who are you? Do we know you?)

 

[Princess Zoe]

If it's chirping you probably need a new battery. The smoke alarms being hardwired is code now.

 

[Melissa]

Ours only chirp when the power is out.

 

[TangerineFizz]

If it's chirping you probably need a new battery. The smoke alarms being hardwired is code now.

There is no battery. No back up battery, nada, nothing.

I don't know if I should wait, or call someone I can't afford to check it?

 

[jzgrlduff]

That's really odd, K. If it were me, I think I would call someone.

 

[BoatDog]

There is no battery. No back up battery, nada, nothing.

I don't know if I should wait, or call someone I can't afford to check it?

Karina - get a cheap battery one and use it til you have to call about something else needing fixed? Short term solution!

 

[Golfgirlrobin]

Go to the manufacturer's website, find the 800 number and call and ask what to do. Sometimes they also have online manuals which can answer your questions.

 

[Labradorable]

I might be wrong, but I'm pretty sure even hard wired smoke detectors have an expiry. I know that a battery operated smoke detector has a life span of about 10 years (depending on the type). Maybe it needs replacing.

 

[Aim]

Ours are the same- I believe it is the law to have them hardwired in new homes now.

Anyways- Ours has chirped in the past, but only once or twice.

One of ours is very sensitive and I have to unhook it when I'm cooking anything for more than 20 minutes, or else is goes off like mad. I imagine you can buy replacement ones to fit the same unit we've already got.

I'd call the non emergency fire department number. I bet they'll know what to do and I don't think they charge anything just to answer questions.

Try pushing the TEST button and see if that stops it. I think I may have done that once when we had a couple chirps from it.

Here's a FAQ from the manufacturer of our smoke alarms regarding the beeping:

http://www.firexsafety.com/homedir/...neServices/FAQ/frequently+asked+questions.htm

 

[kelli]

They do, in fact expire.. if it's old.. 10+ years, you'll need to replace it.

There should be a battery backup.. that seems odd that there wouldn't be..

 

[Samson]

It's beeping to tell you there's a fault be it battery or otherwise !

I would follow Stacey's advice if you can't afford a repair right now Kaz !

 

[zoezoe]

you can get a new one for around ten bucks. i need to do this, too. mine is old and even when i change the battery it still beeps now and then. i googled it (heehee) and found what kelli said....she is soooooooooooooo smaaaaaaaaaart!! so yeh, we need new ones, kaz!!

 

[Melissa]

Wow. I had no idea hard-wired alarms expired. Crap. I have no idea if they previous owners replaced them or not. They're not chirping at me to replace them though.

 

[TangerineFizz]

See? this is why I posted this here - what a wealth of information I would have never known.

Amy, thanks for that kick ass link - I bet I do have to replace it as it is 13 years old this April!

and Amy, our main floor one does it when I open the oven door at anything higher then 400 - it's really annoying.

I'm going to hit Home Hardware on the way home and grab 3 battery operated ones as backup, and then see about replacing the ones that are hardwired in now.

I just find it so odd that they are hardwired. What if the wires burned out? would it still alert us?

Thanks guys - I will explore these avenues before calling in the big guns, which I really hope I don't have to do.

 

[Aim]

See? this is why I posted this here - what a wealth of information I would have never known.

Amy, thanks for that kick ass link - I bet I do have to replace it as it is 13 years old this April!

and Amy, our main floor one does it when I open the oven door at anything higher then 400 - it's really annoying.

I'm going to hit Home Hardware on the way home and grab 3 battery operated ones as backup, and then see about replacing the ones that are hardwired in now.

I just find it so odd that they are hardwired. What if the wires burned out? would it still alert us?

Thanks guys - I will explore these avenues before calling in the big guns, which I really hope I don't have to do.

This really bothered me, as well. Especially if you lose power- you lose your smoke alarms. Like during that blackout in 03. I've been meaning to get some battery operated ones to have, but I always forget or have something else to buy. But I think I'll get some this week and put them in the house.