First Alert smoke alarm going off unexpectedly... what should I do?

My First Alert smoke alarm in an extra bedroom just went off with full blasts (not chirping) three at a time. I’m sure there’s no smoke or fire. I managed to stop it, but I’m worried it might go off again. Any suggestions to make sure it doesn’t resume?

If it’s going off in full alarm like that, it might be picking up dust or debris. Try cleaning it with compressed air or a vacuum. That solved it for me.

FortressForums said:
If it’s going off in full alarm like that, it might be picking up dust or debris. Try cleaning it with compressed air or a vacuum. That solved it for me.

Good idea. I’ll clean it out and see if that helps.

Could also be because of where it’s installed. If it’s near a vent, fan, or even too close to the bathroom, it might be getting false triggers from airflow or humidity.

Elliot said:
Could also be because of where it’s installed. If it’s near a vent, fan, or even too close to the bathroom, it might be getting false triggers from airflow or humidity.

I’ll check the location. It’s close to the bathroom, so that might be the issue.

If it’s an older unit, it might be malfunctioning. Smoke alarms usually need to be replaced every 10 years, so check the date on it.

Skylar said:
If it’s an older unit, it might be malfunctioning. Smoke alarms usually need to be replaced every 10 years, so check the date on it.

It might be old. I’ll check the date and see if it’s time for a replacement.

If it keeps going off, try replacing the battery, even if it seems new. Sometimes the battery isn’t seated properly, or the unit could be faulty.

After replacing the battery, press the test button for 10-15 seconds to reset the alarm. That might stop it from going off again if it was a one-time glitch.