Question for AKB - smoke detectors

[psuro]

My house has the original smoke detectors (Not CO detector combo). House was built in 1999.

Over the last three nights, the detector goes off every 30 seconds or so - a couple of beeps. It ONLY happens at night Between midnight and whenever I wake up to turn it off. It does not happen during the day.

It’s the first floor detector. I have no smoke in the house, nothing on the stove, etc. (Again, it happens only at night).

I have to turn it off using the alarm panel - however, I cancelled my ADT account so I am not getting any calls from the alarm company. (Long story on that).

Other than it being the original detector and in need of replacement - any thoughts? Anyone else ever deal with something like this?

 

[SleepyLion]

My house has the original smoke detectors (Not CO detector combo). House was built in 1999.

Over the last three nights, the detector goes off every 30 seconds or so - a couple of beeps. It ONLY happens at night Between midnight and whenever I wake up to turn it off. It does not happen during the day.

It’s the first floor detector. I have no smoke in the house, nothing on the stove, etc. (Again, it happens only at night).

I have to turn it off using the alarm panel - however, I cancelled my ADT account so I am not getting any calls from the alarm company. (Long story on that).

Other than it being the original detector and in need of replacement - any thoughts? Anyone else ever deal with something like this?

You should replace the detectors, all of them in your house if they are the originals. Smoke and CO detectors should be replaced every 7-10 years (depending on the model). You might be able to find the expiration date on the device.

 

[jp3272]

yup… replace them all now.

 

[SleepyLion]

yup… replace them all now.

Also, I like to get the ones with the enclosed battery. They last the entire life of the device and you do not have to remember to change the batteries every 6 months (everybody does this?). The those start to chirp or malfunction just throw away buy an new one.

 

[Moogy]

My house has the original smoke detectors (Not CO detector combo). House was built in 1999.

Over the last three nights, the detector goes off every 30 seconds or so - a couple of beeps. It ONLY happens at night Between midnight and whenever I wake up to turn it off. It does not happen during the day.

It’s the first floor detector. I have no smoke in the house, nothing on the stove, etc. (Again, it happens only at night).

I have to turn it off using the alarm panel - however, I cancelled my ADT account so I am not getting any calls from the alarm company. (Long story on that).

Other than it being the original detector and in need of replacement - any thoughts? Anyone else ever deal with something like this?

Dude, you're WAY past the useful life of a smoke detector. It's likely the end of life signal ... check your manual for the different types of beeps. If so, it's never going to stop happening until you replace it. On the main house, which was also built in 1999, we had to have ours replaced twice now. 7-12 years is the typical range. And it's not fun since we have 15+ smoke/CO2/heat detectors hardwired into the house (per state law).

 

[psuro]

Dude, you're WAY past the useful life of a smoke detector. It's likely the end of life signal ... check your manual for the different types of beeps. If so, it's never going to stop happening until you replace it. On the main house, which was also built in 1999, we had to have ours replaced twice now. 7-12 years is the typical range. And it's not fun since we have 15+ smoke/CO2/heat detectors hardwired into the house (per state law).

Yeah I know they have to be replaced. The really odd thing is that the beeping only occurs at night. Not at any other time of day.

 

[BW Lion]

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 stop when the home warms up a few degrees.

Why Do Smoke Alarms Go Off In the Middle of the Night? | Kidde

There is a simple explanation and ways to fix the problem. beeping fire alarm, smoke alarm keeps beeping, smoke detector keeps beeping, smoke detectors chirping, chirping smoke alarm, hard wired smoke detector beeping

www.kidde.com

 

[laKavosiey-st lion]

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 stop when the home warms up a few degrees.

Why Do Smoke Alarms Go Off In the Middle of the Night? | Kidde

There is a simple explanation and ways to fix the problem. beeping fire alarm, smoke alarm keeps beeping, smoke detector keeps beeping, smoke detectors chirping, chirping smoke alarm, hard wired smoke detector beeping

www.kidde.com

As an electrician this temp talk is totally farscicle

 

[kgilbert78]

More than just the battery. They use trans-uranic elements like Americium--they are (slightly) radioactive and have a half-life.

 

[Ghost of OM]

BW Lion is right - not sure about the night time temperature part but it is battery related. I have a similar system and had exactly the same thing happen a few months ago. My 1999 ADT system is hardwired into the home electric but also has a battery backup inside the main control panel in a closet. The alarm was going off to tell me that the backup battery was failing. Also happened in the middle of the freekin night. One would think it could find a better way to tell me that. Anyway, I just disconnected the whole thing and put up battery powered replacement CO/smoke detectors overtop of the holes from the old ADT ones. I wasn’t using the alarm function anyway so easy fix.

 

[Obliviax]

My house has the original smoke detectors (Not CO detector combo). House was built in 1999.

Over the last three nights, the detector goes off every 30 seconds or so - a couple of beeps. It ONLY happens at night Between midnight and whenever I wake up to turn it off. It does not happen during the day.

It’s the first floor detector. I have no smoke in the house, nothing on the stove, etc. (Again, it happens only at night).

I have to turn it off using the alarm panel - however, I cancelled my ADT account so I am not getting any calls from the alarm company. (Long story on that).

Other than it being the original detector and in need of replacement - any thoughts? Anyone else ever deal with something like this?

first, replace them all. second, they've probably discolored anyway.

Third, use the newer ten year battery smoke detectors. You can usually get a package of them for ~ $10 and they are pretty easy to instal. In fact, at least here in Ohio, they don't need to be household wired and can run just off the battery since they have a ten year life.

I'll also add that I just replaced all of my can lights with these LED inserts. Again, the can light was yellowing so I did this to make it look sharper

https://www.lowes.com/pd/First-Alert-6-Pack-AC-Hardwired-120-Volt-Smoke-Detector/3031840?cm_mmc=shp-_-b-_-prd-_-elc-_-ggl-_-LIA_ELC_000_PRO-_-3031840-_-local-_-0-_-0&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAq4KuBhA6EiwArMAw1BbimD-Apjjm_SmksxOf9EiCYSmDCuem_63m9VqjIaH3UKP-kvxKwRoC4oYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[PSU87]

As an electrician this temp talk is totally farscicle

Yeah, not buying the temperature explanation. Resistance goes DOWN with lower temps, not up.

If temperature plays a role, its not resistance.

 

[TheBigUglies]

Poltergeist?

 

[Woodpecker]

More than just the battery. They use trans-uranic elements like Americium--they are (slightly) radioactive and have a half-life.

While older smoke detectors should probably be replaced, it is likely not due to the half life of the isotopes involved. The half life of Americium 241 is about 432 years.