It’s a sound we have all heard: the 2 a.m. alarm chirp. Why does it happen in the middle of the night? Why cant it go off during the day? Well, it’s a simple matter of the battery’s charge level and a home’s air temperature.
As a smoke alarm’s battery nears the end of its life, the amount of power it produces causes an internal resistance. A drop in room temperature increases this resistance, which may impact the battery’s ability to deliver the power necessary to operate the unit in an alarm situation.
This battery characteristic can cause a smoke alarm to enter the low battery chirp mode when air temperatures drop. Most homes are the coolest between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. That’s why the alarm may sound a low-battery chirp in the middle of the night, and then stops when the home warms up a few degrees. So its not just the alarm trying to be annoying, its a matter of science!!
Here are some why to keep it from happening –
- Replace the batteries in all your alarms, and remember to test them monthly.
- Check the age of your smoke alarms. Kidde recommends replacing all smoke alarms – battery and hardwired – every 10 years. If your alarms are older or they look really old, you should replace them.
- CO alarms will sound a required “end-of-life” chirp after seven to ten years of power. Beat the beep by replacing outdated alarms.
Chirping alarm at your house ? Call us and we will stop by at no charge to fix it! 310-800-4418
