I have a First Alert smoke alarm with a backup battery that started chirping every minute. I replaced the battery, but it’s still chirping. I even disconnected it from the power plug, and it keeps chirping. Does anyone know what might be wrong?
It could be that there’s residual charge left in the unit. Try holding the test button down for 15 seconds to drain any leftover power. That sometimes stops the chirping.
Damon said:
It could be that there’s residual charge left in the unit. Try holding the test button down for 15 seconds to drain any leftover power. That sometimes stops the chirping.
I’ll give that a shot. Thanks for the suggestion!
If it’s still chirping after you’ve changed the battery and unplugged it, it might be at the end of its life. Smoke detectors usually need to be replaced every 10 years.
Padukone said:
If it’s still chirping after you’ve changed the battery and unplugged it, it might be at the end of its life. Smoke detectors usually need to be replaced every 10 years.
It’s definitely old, so that could be it. I’ll check the date on it and see if it’s time for a replacement.
Sometimes a chirping smoke detector can mean there’s a hardware issue or malfunction. If the test button reset doesn’t work, it may be time to get a new one.
I had a similar problem with my First Alert alarm. I ended up replacing it after it kept chirping even after changing the battery. It fixed the issue right away.
If the detector beeps three times a minute, it’s usually a sign that the unit is faulty. You may want to get a replacement if that’s the case.