Your smoke detector beeps once a minute or so, and you replace the battery or batteries hoping to stop the beeping. But the beeping continues….. Why is that?
The problem is typically one of three things –
- 1- The new battery has low voltage also. If its a rectangular 9 volt battery, the voltage should be at least 9.5 volts. If the voltage is 9.5 volts or less, the beeping continues on some smoke detectors. Most smoke detectors need new, fresh batteries of at least 9.5 volts or more to avoid the continued beeping if the batteries are the rectangular 9 volt type. AA 1.5 volt batteries also need to be fresh and new and at least 1.5 volts per battery.
- 2- The battery is inserted the wrong way. Check to make sure the battery or batteries are inserted the correct way, and if necessary, flip them around and try again. Unfortunately some detectors allow batteries to be inserted the wrong or reversed way.
- 3- The detector has reached its ‘end of life’ time. Some, but not all, detectors ‘time out’ after ten years and will not operate any longer. If the date on the detector is 10 years or older, or if the detector appears very old, the detector has probably reached the end of its life. This feature is to force the owner to replace it with a new – and usually better and safer – detector at the ten year mark.
If you have a detector with a sealed battery that you can not replace the battery and it continually beeps, then the detector needs to be replaced. Typically a sealed battery detector when they start to die will just quit working without the annoying once a minute beeping. Check by pushing the test button.
If you need to replace your some detector, always purchase a new smoke (and a CO detector if necessary) from a local hardware store like Loews or Home Depot. This assures that you will be buying a ‘California compliant’ type of detector if you are located in California. More on that rule here. Best not to purchase chepo Chinese detectors online from Amazon or Ebay. Here is a link to explain what is and is not compliant when selling your home in California.
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