[Technology] Main connected smoke alarm beeping help

[mile oak]

Any electricians or logic minded ppl can help please as a constant smoke alarm beeping every minute or thereabouts drives me mad might have to take late night journey away!
Have 2 wired in smoke alarms with battery back up. The battery must've lost sufficient power. Replaced battery with 4 used (elsewhere) identical (don't have a new one)- hard believe they are all low on power (slight possibility they are). Disconnected the consumer fuse board and reset the switch. These are older wired in smoke alarms not like the more modern ones where you can pull the electrical connection out by squeezing together lift flap and replace battery. Keeps beeping. If I take battery out altogether presumably it registers low battery i.e. there is zero power so still get beep nose. My only thought is there is a fault with the actual smoke alarm device itself. Any suggestions much appreciated.

 

[Justice]

Your battery needs replacing
Is it the square 9v battery?

 

[Dibdab]

Id try a brand new battery.

 

[Littlemo]

Any electricians or logic minded ppl can help please as a constant smoke alarm beeping every minute or thereabouts drives me mad might have to take late night journey away!
Have 2 wired in smoke alarms with battery back up. The battery must've lost sufficient power. Replaced battery with 4 used (elsewhere) identical (don't have a new one)- hard believe they are all low on power (slight possibility they are). Disconnected the consumer fuse board and reset the switch. These are older wired in smoke alarms not like the more modern ones where you can pull the electrical connection out by squeezing together lift flap and replace battery. Keeps beeping. If I take battery out altogether presumably it registers low battery i.e. there is zero power so still get beep nose. My only thought is there is a fault with the actual smoke alarm device itself. Any suggestions much appreciated.

We had this is our building. Basically the electrician had to come and replace the battery and reset them because the low battery triggered something off.

 

[mile oak]

We had this is our building. Basically the electrician had to come and replace the battery and reset them because the low battery triggered something off.

Thanks I have replaced the battery and its made no difference i had hoped switch the consumer fuse board off then back on might reset things but appears it hasn't

 

[Justice]

Thanks I have replaced the battery and its made no difference i had hoped switch the consumer fuse board off then back on might rest things but appears it hasnt

Could you send a picture? If it’s an Aico you will need a brand new battery, I always give them a clean with a dry paint brush and hoover as dust can also cause annoying chirping.
Sometimes even after battery replacement they may chirp for a bit.

 

[mile oak]

Could you send a picture? If it’s an Aico you will need a brand new battery, I always give them a clean with a dry paint brush and hoover as dust can also cause annoying chirping.
Sometimes even after battery replacement they may chirp for a bit.

its a BRK Model 86RACE

 

[nordicgod]

Take battery out and hold in test button for a bit before replacing battery

 

[mile oak]

I am hopeful the dust might've worked or at least returned it to less frequent beeps - typical these things happen on a Saturday evening. Anyway thank you so much for everyone that replied, much appreciated.

Take battery out and hold in test button for a bit before replacing battery

Yeah I did that and got earache I hoped it might reset the alarm but unfortunately that didnt do anything but probably annoy the neighbours!

 

[Albion my Albion]

Turn it off and then back on

OR

buy a new smoke detector and burn the old one.

 

[mile oak]

Turn it off and then back on

OR

buy a new smoke detector and burn the old one.

Yeah thanks, Ive turned it off at the consumer unit but its wired and not like the more modern mains smoke alarms where you can disconnect it easily and push back into place. I think I will have to get a new one wired in fitted and in meantime will buy a battery smoke alarm but because its wired in it constantly beeps presumably because the battery is low so if remove battery its basically zero juice (so has no effect). I have dusted and hoovered it and the beep seems less frequent but it was less frequent earlier. Its a beeping nuisance!

 

[alanfp]

Replace the battery with a brand new one, not a used one.

 

[HillBarnTillIDie]

Replace the battery with the correct 9v battery type (chemically speaking). It will say what battery type on the unit.

But first its worth checking the end of life date on it. These thing do have a life span.
The Aico ones have a small sticker visible from the side with the replace by date.

 

[BNthree]

My wired in smoke alarms say they need high spec lithium 9v batteries and any others cause them to keep beeping. Go buy an Energiser or Duracell lithium 9v and see what happens.

 

[Gary1]

Have had similar myself. Do you know when they fitted as they have a lifespan somewhere around 8/10 years. If it’s around that age then it probably needs replaced. Even if it’s less than that age it is also possible that like any electrical item it’s just gone wrong and once again need’s replacing. As someone else mentioned there should be a sticker on it giving a date either of manufacture or when replacement is due.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Life expectancy of a smoke alarm is 10 years, with a combined smoke + CO2 more like 5-7 years. If the unit is older than 10 years (manufacture date) worth considering replacing it.

Edit: as said above ^^

 

[P.C. Beard]

Get a brand new high quality battery

 

[mothy]

What everyone else has said. Must be a new & powerful battery. I bought 9v at the corner shop & replaced 1 of mine & it carried on beeping as the battery was new but old. Replaced it with a fresher 1 from the supermarket = fine.

We have about 8 on a wired system. It's a nightmare when 1 goes - a to work out which 1 it is & then to replace. 1 is about 10ft high on a staircase & when they starts in the middle of the night, ear plugs are the only option

 

[Super Steve Earle]

How many do you have? I've just been through all this. If you have more than one unit, they should be linked and the battery should be replaced in each of them even if only one bleeps/flashes. By the way, YouTube is your friend. Type in the exact product and number etc.

 

[mile oak]

How many do you have? I've just been through all this. If you have more than one unit, they should be linked and the battery should be replaced in each of them even if only one bleeps/flashes. By the way, YouTube is your friend. Type in the exact product and number etc.

Just 2 one downstairs one upstairs.