Smoke detectors

[Displaced Flames fan]

Any experts out there?

I replaced all of the batteries in mine today. It was time, and they were all going off simultaneously for no reason. Well, after several hours, they've started doing it again. All of them will go off for 3 or 4 seconds every so often.

Any clues?

Batteries are correctly installed...before anyone turns into my wife.

[metallicat]

Are the detectors hard wired into your electrical, with the batteries there as a backup?

[jolinar of malkshor]

Is there smoke?

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by jolinar of malkshor

Is there smoke?

[Phanuthier]

Is there a buildup of dust or dead flies in the fire alarm? If its an optical fire alarm, that would cause it to go off. When you replaced the dead batteries, you might have knocked some dust/dead bugs loose and into its path.

[schnee]

^^^^^^ agreed :-)

Fine dirt/dust/pollen in the air can sometimes set them off....

Remove the cover and vacuum it on the inside and out.. then go over the detector inerds gently. (open that valve on the vacuum handle so the suction is lower)

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by oilers_fan

Are the detectors hard wired into your electrical, with the batteries there as a backup?

Yes.

As for the dust issue, that's a possibility but would it cause all the alarms in the house to go off simultaneously? Also, they've been beeping every few minutes for months now.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by jolinar of malkshor

Is there smoke?

Well played! I thought I headed off this stuff with my batteries= my wife's response thingy, guess not!

[CGYTransplant]

Do you have an alarm system? If the smoke detectors are wired into your alarm system, and something is wrong with the alarm (backup battery could be low, connection to the office could be shorting out, etc), the smoke detectors could go off.

And, hardwired smoke alarms are usually set so that if one is tripped, they all go off....at least ours are. So, if it is the optical sensor like others said, only one may need the cleaning, but they'll all go off.

[You Need a Thneed]

When smoke detectors are hard wired, they will all go off together. So, if it is dust, they may all beep together.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

When smoke detectors are hard wired, they will all go off together. So, if it is dust, they may all beep together.

Yeah, I figured this out last night in bed while thinking about the whole problem. I felt like a big freaking idiot for asking about the simultaneous alarms. Wow. I'm really not that dumb!

Thankfully, I've figured out that it isn't the detector that requires a ladder to get to. I unplugged the other two and took out the batteries. Problem solved. Tonight I'll clean them and get them back up and hopefully things will be back to normal.

The alarm thing is interesting. We do have an alarm system, but we don't use it and the battery is definitely dead. I wonder if that's why the detectors give a quick beep every so often.

Thanks for all the help guys.

[Cheese]

It could also be cheap detectors. Most cheap units fault after replacing the battery the first time...if thats the case toss em and buy more expensive units.

[prarieboy]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

Yeah, I figured this out last night in bed while thinking about the whole problem. I felt like a big freaking idiot for asking about the simultaneous alarms. Wow. I'm really not that dumb!

Thankfully, I've figured out that it isn't the detector that requires a ladder to get to. I unplugged the other two and took out the batteries. Problem solved. Tonight I'll clean them and get them back up and hopefully things will be back to normal.

The alarm thing is interesting. We do have an alarm system, but we don't use it and the battery is definitely dead. I wonder if that's why the detectors give a quick beep every so often.

Thanks for all the help guys.

You should replace them, not clean them. I'm no fireman but what you have is not working properly. Drop an e-mail to the Fire Department and I'll bet they say if they are over 10 years old you should replace them wether they are working correctly or not.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by prarieboy

You should replace them, not clean them. I'm no fireman but what you have is not working properly. Drop an e-mail to the Fire Department and I'll bet they say if they are over 10 years old you should replace them wether they are working correctly or not.

Well, they are only 5 years old. I'm going to research Cheese's concerns though and see if they are bottom of the barrel pieces.

[prarieboy]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

Well, they are only 5 years old. I'm going to research Cheese's concerns though and see if they are bottom of the barrel pieces.

You'll be glad you did.

I know I slept better after replacing the original detectors in the house we moved into 3 years back.

The original ones (14 years old) needed new batteries and actually looked like they were just a pile of junk. The new ones on the other hand are Co2 and smoke detectors and they just look like there doing the job.
I'm kind of a worrier so for me this was a huge thing to do. It's no suprise the Fire Dept. comes around checking detectors from time to time. they know they work.