Smoke detectors are fire protection gadgets that are built with an automatic technology to detect smoke or fire presence and signal out a warning. They are made of alarm systems that are triggered to beep after detecting smoke. Besides, they are also intended to beep when the battery is low/ dead and needs to be changed. However, false beeping is common among these devices.
Nothing is perfect. So do smoke detectors. Sometimes, you might change the battery but smoke detector still beeps? This is inconveniencing as it might cause fear and panic among residents. If experiencing such a problem, worry less. In this guide today, we will expound more on changing battery and smoke detector still beeping. We will explain what causes this problem and how to avert it. Therefore, read through to end.
Why Do My Smoke Detector Still Keep Beeping After Changing The Battery
A low or weak battery triggers the smoke detector to signal an alert through beeping. These alerts remind you the need to change the battery. However, some smoke detectors keep beeping even after changing the battery. This malfunction is caused by several factors.
These factors can be internal or external. Some of the internal factors are poor manufacturing of the device or the device sensitivity. Some external factors include steam baths or cooking smoke among others. Below are some of the factors that causes your smoke detector to still beep after changing the battery.
1) Open battery drawer
If you changed your smoke detector’s battery but still keep beeping, something is definitely wrong. This might be caused by an open battery drawer. Maybe, you dint close it we well after changing the battery. This hinders the battery from making a contact with the terminal causing a continuous beeping.
2) Pull-tab still present
After changing your battery, you should remove the pull-tab or any other obstruction. This is because the pull-tab hinders the battery from making contact with the terminals. This triggers the alarm to keep beeping even after changing the battery.
3) Steam
Steam or high humidity is made of moisture particles that are dense enough to trigger false beeping in your smoke detector. More often than not, the smoke detector confuses these particles to smoke as a primary presence of fire. This scatters your sensors light beam triggering it to keep beeping even after changing the battery.
4) Insects
Some tiny insects triggers your smoke detector to still beep even after changing the battery. Smoke detectors are made of chamber entrance that allows the smoke to pass through. Some of these chamber entrances are large enough to accommodate pesky insects. Once the insect pass through, they interfere with the sensors causing it to keep beeping.
5) Dust
Dust also triggers your smoke detector to keep keeping even after changing your battery. This mostly applies to sensitive smoke detectors. Build up of dust particles in the chambers triggers your sensor to keep beeping.
6) Smoke
Smoke from overcooked food can trigger your smoke detector to keep beeping. More often, your detector’s sensor might confuse food smoke to fire smoke. This triggers it to keep beeping.
7) Dead smoke detector
Despite of the many times you change your smoke detector’s battery, a dead smoke detector will always be faulty. This might cause it to keep beeping even after changing the battery. Smoke detectors are designed to last for 8 to 10 years. If the detector has functioned for more than ten years, it needs an immediate replacement.
What To Do After Changing Battery In Smoke Detector And Still Beeping
Do your smoke detector keep beeping even after changing the battery? Replacing or buying another detector should be your last option. Before replacement, you should try out a couple of things to address the beeping problem.
Note that reversing the consistent beeping problem in the smoke detector depends with the root cause. Below are some of the remedies to this problem.
1) Change your smoke detector’s placement
If your smoke detector keep beeping as a result of overcooked food smoke or steam bath, you should change its position. Here, you should change and install the detector more than 10 feet away from the cooker, stove, toaster, fireplace, furnace or bathroom door.
Also, take off your smoke detector away from the door, window or any other opening that brings in dust.
2) Clean your detector
Perhaps your detector keep beeping as a result of dust or debris on the sensors! If so, disconnect and clean it. To clean your detector, it’s advisable to remove the battery and use a vacuum cleaner and clean out dust or debris present between back plate and cover. After, use compress air and blow out any moisture or debris particles. After cleaning, put your battery back and reconnect the device. This might solve out your issue.
3) Reset your detector
If changing your detector’s location and cleaning it dint work, you should try to reset your smoke detector. Most of smoke detectors are designed with a reset button that makes the process easy and quick. To reset, hold on the reset button for 15 to 20 seconds. This should stop the false beeping.
4) Adjust your detector’s sensitivity
If the above remedies dint work, it’s possible that your detector keep beeping as a result of smoke sensitivity. Here, you should adjust or modify your alarm’s sensitivity. However, you should be cautious as you might damage it, inhibit its functionality or ability to detect smoke. Fortunately, most some detectors comes with manufacturer’s instructions to adjust sensitivity. Follow the instructions keenly and address your problem.
5) Replace your detector
If the above attempts dint solve the problem, it simply means that the detector is damaged or expired. Check your detector’s expiring date and if exceeded, purchase a new one from a trusted hardware store or local fire department.
Things To Avoid When Your Smoke Detector Still Keep Beeping Even After Changing The Battery
A consistent beeping smoke detector can be a nuisance. As a result, home owners might be tempted to mishandle it and put their family or home at risk. Below are some of the things to avoid with a beeping smoke detector.
- Do not take out your detector and store it in the drawers or other un-helpful location.
- Do not remove your detectors battery and neglect it. Instead, always replace the battery to make your detector useful.
- Do not cover your smoke detector with tapes or clothes to obstruct the beeping.
- Do not ignore your detector’s consistent beeping.
Conclusion
Smoke detectors are important tools to protect our homes or offices. To be useful, these devices should be maintained and placed in a safe location. You should also check its battery regularly and change if need be. However, your smoke detector might still be faulty and keep beeping even after maintenance and battery replacement. If so, try out the remedies above to solve out your problem.