OT hardwired smoke detector question

[Nitwit]

I have some smoke detectors which have a 9 v battery and are also hardwired into the electric. Naturally the hardest one to reach started beeping (at least not at 2 am). I turned off the circuit breaker but it continued to beep. I replaced the battery with a fresh one and it began beeping again. So now I just disconnected the smoke detector entirely to stop the beeping and turned the circuit breaker back on so that my other detectors had power. So wtf is going on with the one smoke detector which wouldn’t stop beeping, even after I changed the battery? It doesn’t seem like I can reinstall it without the beeping resuming. Thanks for any advice.

 

[BriarwoodBash]

If it is older than 12-15 years, it may need replacement. They don’t last forever. The same scenario your describe happened to me. I replaced it.

 

[MJG-90]

Should be replaced after 10 years. They now make them with a 10 year battery so no need to change the 9V at 2 AM anymore.

 

[PSUQBKeeper]

just went through this like a month ago, replace your detectors

 

[#1PSU]

Should be replaced after 10 years. They now make them with a 10 year battery so no need to change the 9V at 2 AM anymore.

thank god! i know what i'll be looking into. change them all. ive had enough of the 2am battle!

 

[old&tired76]

Sure you know this but you will need to replace it with the same type / manufacturer to work with the existing hard wire connector and to work in synch with the other existing units. You should probably think about replacing all of them now to save yourself some aggravation.

 

[fastlax16]

Coincidentally this Happened to me last night as well with multiple detectors. We have a newborn so sleep is already at a premium and this didn’t help. My house is only two years old though so not sure what the deal is.

 

[lionlover]

As a rule of thumb, you should consider replacing all of your smoke/carbon monoxide detectors older than 10 yrs. As a matter of fact, most townships won't allow you to obtain a certificate of occupancy to sell your home without replacing all of the detectors older than 10 yrs.

 

[91Joe95]

Coincidentally this Happened to me last night as well with multiple detectors. We have a newborn so sleep is already at a premium and this didn’t help. My house is only two years old though so not sure what the deal is.

Sometimes a weak battery or unplugging a smoke detector can cause the home security unit to send signals to the other detectors. I replace all the batteries in every smoke detector and CO detector every spring before one goes off. Its part of my spring maintenance and landscaping checks (gotta check that AC and make sure it's pumping out 55 F air at the farthest vent, etc). Even though heavy duty batteries are great for slow drain devices, don't use them. Alkaline has a slightly higher actual voltage and it helps. The new 5 and 10 year lithium batteries are great, but they'll outlast my detectors by a wide margin at this point. Personally I don't mind changing the batteries because I like to keep an eye on things and always remain familiar with their operation, but that's a personal choice.

When it's time to replace a detector, replace them all at the same time. I also disconnected and removed the power from the security system since we don't use it. That also helps. It also means I don't have to reconnect the wiring at the detector, but I do anyways.

 

[idotter]

Just replaced all mine after 14 years. Easy and I’m not handy. 1 YouTube video and done! Get the 10 year battery!

 

[Lion84]

sometimes you have to "reset" it - with the battery out push and hold the test button and then put the new battery in - might work and if not as other have suggested replace it.

 

[MJG-90]

Sure you know this but you will need to replace it with the same type / manufacturer to work with the existing hard wire connector and to work in synch with the other existing units. You should probably think about replacing all of them now to save yourself some aggravation.

Definitely replace them all. And rewiring with a different brand isn’t difficult. So don’t fear that option.

Coincidentally this Happened to me last night as well with multiple detectors. We have a newborn so sleep is already at a premium and this didn’t help. My house is only two years old though so not sure what the deal is.

Probably just a dead battery. But contractors sometimes put in old units they have lying around.

 

[Art]

Dust will set them off as well. Vacuum it out or blow compressed air through it.

Not uncommon for these to fail and send false alarms before their expiry date. Simple enough to just replace them.

 

[gamblepsu]

sometimes you have to "reset" it - with the battery out push and hold the test button and then put the new battery in - might work and if not as other have suggested replace it.

This is what happens to mine. When I replace the battery I have to hold
The button to reset it before it recognizes it’s not low anymore. Sucks because resetting causes the alarm to go off briefly.

 

[PSUSignore]

They are expensive, but I installed some Nest Protect detectors. They notify through the app if they are set off, so you know if something's up when you're not home. They also send low battery and time to replace alerts through the app so you don't get annoying beeps. And maybe my favorite feature is they have motion sensing lights which you can set to turn on in the dark at a brightness of your choosing, it's a nice little night light feature.

 

[Obliviax]

I had one go off at 1am during a power outage. I used my phone's battery and put it on the top of the bedroom door to shine up while I replaced the battery. The next day I had power (we lost power for three days) I went and both 20 ten-year battery smoke detectors from Lowes and replaced every single one. I am now replacing my mother in laws smoke detectors (she doesn't hear the low battery beep and people come over and complain).

 

[PSU Lion 2000]

As many others have said, you likely need to replace them. I had a similar issue at about the 13 year mark. I purchased enough for the entire house. Not really what I wanted to spend a few hundred dollars on, but such is the life of a homeowner.