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How many times a day do you think about your smoke alarm? For most people, it’s zero – they just sit quietly in the background, ready to alert you to excess amounts of smoke.

Occasionally, they like to give you a little reminder they’re there. We all know the sound of a smoke alarm beeping – the persistent and high-pitched beep at regular intervals. Beep, beep, beep… it’s irritating, because it’s meant to be!

That smoke alarm beeping is designed to catch your attention. It’s a warning sign that all is not well with your smoke alarm – attention is required to remedy the situation and keep your property and family safe.

What’s the cause of the smoke alarm beeping? Let’s go over a few common ones that can affect either hard-wired or battery-powered smoke alarms, or both. You’ll also learn when it’s time to call in a professional residential electrician to deal with your smoke alarm beeping.

Common Reasons for Smoke Alarm Beeping

Low Battery

A low battery is the most common cause of a smoke alarm beeping. Many models will be powered by a nine-volt battery. When this runs low on energy, you’ll hear a regular chirp every 30 to 60 seconds. Changing the battery is a simple task, so that should be your first port of call in dealing with the situation. Remember that even hardwired alarms often have a backup battery that needs replacing.

Reached End of Life

Smoke alarms don’t last forever. Most are built to run for about 8 to 10 years. If yours is older, it may beep to let you know it’s time for a replacement. The beep is usually pretty similar to the low battery sound. There should be a manufacture date stamped on the back, check it out and you’ll know whether it’s time to get a new set of smoke alarms in.

Dust or Dirt

If you live in a dry and dusty region, you might find your smoke alarms need regular cleaning out or they’ll start beeping. Dust accumulates inside the alarm and this can trigger it into either going off or else doing the rhythmic ‘low battery’ beeps. Grab your vacuum with a soft brush and give it a clean, that should sort the problem out.

Humidity or Steam

Excess moisture can trigger a smoke alarm into beeping. You might find this happens when you have alarms located near bathrooms or kitchens. Drying them out with a hair dryer can do the trick, although you may need to move the alarms if it becomes a recurring issue.

Electrical Issues

If you’ve got a hardwired alarm, a power interruption or loose connection could be the cause. Nearby devices might also be causing issues with the alarm. This is one for a licensed electrician like Voltora Industries. Don’t go pulling wires yourself.

Safely Stop the Beeping

Here’s a checklist to run through if your smoke alarms start beeping:

Identify the alarm making the sound.
Swap the battery if it’s due.
Clean the unit to clear out dust.
Press the reset button.
Replace the alarm if it’s exceeding the recommended lifespan.

We’d recommend not turning off your smoke alarm completely. If you do, your property isn’t protected. Instead, it might be time to…

When to Call a Professional Smoke Alarm Installer

If you’ve tried the steps above and the alarm won’t stop, it’s time to call in a certified electrician like Voltora.

If your alarms are hardwired, please don’t tackle wiring problems or installation issues yourself. This is a job for a qualified and certified electrician.

The Voltora team installs, replaces and maintains smoke alarms for homes all across Brisbane. If your smoke alarm is beeping and you can’t get to the bottom of it, we’re here for you!

Contact the Smoke Alarm Experts

Don’t be driven crazy by your smoke alarm beeping. It’s telling you something is wrong, and the quickest way to get your house safe again is to get in touch with us. We’ll send a smoke alarm expert around to get to the bottom of the problem for you.

Lets get started

Smoke Alarm Beeping? Read This.