smoke alarm beeping

Luckylaydee

Please please please help....my smoke alarm has been beeping forever, anyway, bought new battery thinking this was the problem. I cut the electricity (by the fuse box), took the smoke alarm down, pressed the button for 15-20 seconds, put fresh battery back in, replaced the alarm back in the ceiling, turned the power back on and.....it still beeps...what can I do now...its in there 5 years, do I need a new one and do I need to get an electrician in to fit it as its connected to the electrical mains.

maxfresh

If it does need to be replaced usally the main part of the smoke alarm clips from the base part which has the electrical connections

coylemj

Five years is about right for a smoke alarm reaching it's end of life. Sounds (literally) like it's replacement time.

Look inside and you'll probably see a 'best before' date

Sir Arthur Daley

Most smoke alarms would have a 10 year lifespan, maybe there is a mains failure on the smoke alarm circuit.

mcgragger

Has it been activated lately?

If its dirty inside depending on what type it is it might need to be cleaned and/or reset

tomdempsey200

don't use cheap batteries either

sometimes the alarms continue to beep

JDOC1996

Put the fire out

Sir Arthur Daley

tomdempsey200 wrote: »

don't use cheap batteries either

sometimes the alarms continue to beep

This is a very good point, EI alarms state to use only Duracell MN1604 or Energizer 522 as other batteries can cause problems.

kissmequick

One of mine has been chirping for Ireland for a good hour and a half now. Have just moved in here so a lot of the last few days would have involved movement of dust around the place. It says on the outside Expiry Oct. 16. What exactly does holding down the Test button do? How do I know where it's connected to........... I don't see anything written about it on the Mains Box. Just Showers, Cooker, Boiler, Lights etc. Where is a Smoke-Alarm usually connected up to? Would the wiring n' stuff be in the attic? PLEASE HELPPPPP!!! I need to switch it off or I will soon have smoke coming out my ears and nostrils. Stupid annoying thing.

I have to put in a screwdriver to un-attach the unit or whatever and I might wipe/dust the inside of the unit then but where can I switch off the Alarm first like..... I don't know anything about these things. It's driving me mental. There's 2 in the house, so if I manage to get this one stopped will it start up the other one?!? HELPPPPP!!

Robbie.G

kissmequick wrote: »

One of mine has been chirping for Ireland for a good hour and a half now. Have just moved in here so a lot of the last few days would have involved movement of dust around the place. It says on the outside Expiry Oct. 16. What exactly does holding down the Test button do? How do I know where it's connected to........... I don't see anything written about it on the Mains Box. Just Showers, Cooker, Boiler, Lights etc. Where is a Smoke-Alarm usually connected up to? Would the wiring n' stuff be in the attic? PLEASE HELPPPPP!!! I need to switch it off or I will soon have smoke coming out my ears and nostrils. Stupid annoying thing.

I have to put in a screwdriver to un-attach the unit or whatever and I might wipe/dust the inside of the unit then but where can I switch off the Alarm first like..... I don't know anything about these things. It's driving me mental. There's 2 in the house, so if I manage to get this one stopped will it start up the other one?!? HELPPPPP!!

The battery needs replacing that's why it's chirping.
The alarm needs to be removed to replace battery
What make and model of alarm is it the writing will be on the front or side.

kissmequick

It just says it's an EI Ionization Alarm. I don't see a model Number it might be written inside it.

Seriously messed up way of notifying ya of low battery by something sounding for nearly 2 hours! Surely there has to be a better method of notification! :O I just need to know where I switch the damn thing off. And it will be re-homed in the Bin. :-l

kissmequick

Can anyone help?! I need to know what I have to disconnect to try remove the unit to see can I take out Battery to try stop the chirping. It's just stopped 10 minutes ago! That's 4 hours later!!! It's gonna be dark soon and I won't be able to see to remove it. For the last few days it has been going off twice at day at opposite ends of the day for, no more than an hour both times, today was the first day it has stayed beeping for much much longer. It'll likely go off again now tonight around 1/2/3am and I hope it won't stay beeping for 4 hours!! :O I need to just cut the power to it and if needs be if it's still beeping bash the thing to death! Or as Ellen DeGeneres did throw it in her Neighbours' Pool!

I can't understand why a Battery-Notification alert would be ongoing and not just short sharp bursts and knock it off then on the third alert or something. And like what's the story with these things not having an On-Off button?!? By the Unit chirping to alert the Battery is low, and by me hence switching it off, that would indicate I have been notified and have acknowledged it and have got-the-message that said Battery is low and needs to be changed. :rolleyes:

Does any Smoke Alarms have an On/Off Button does anyone know?! I think I'm gonna request to get a different one anyway rather than have my time disrupted like this again.

Robbie.G

kissmequick wrote: »

Can anyone help?! I need to know what I have to disconnect to try remove the unit to see can I take out Battery to try stop the chirping. It's just stopped 10 minutes ago! That's 4 hours later!!! It's gonna be dark soon and I won't be able to see to remove it. For the last few days it has been going off twice at day at opposite ends of the day for, no more than an hour both times, today was the first day it has stayed beeping for much much longer. It'll likely go off again now tonight around 1/2/3am and I hope it won't stay beeping for 4 hours!! :O I need to just cut the power to it and if needs be if it's still beeping bash the thing to death! Or as Ellen DeGeneres did throw it in her Neighbours' Pool!

I can't understand why a Battery-Notification alert would be ongoing and not just short sharp bursts and knock it off then on the third alert or something. And like what's the story with these things not having an On-Off button?!? By the Unit chirping to alert the Battery is low, and by me hence switching it off, that would indicate I have been notified and have acknowledged it and have got-the-message that said Battery is low and needs to be changed. :rolleyes:

Does any Smoke Alarms have an On/Off Button does anyone know?! I think I'm gonna request to get a different one anyway rather than have my time disrupted like this again.

Sorry I thought that it was just chirping not sounding.If it's sounding it's sensing a fault in a lot of cases dust is blocking the sensor.
To remove alarm on the side of the alarm there is a small slot put a small screwdriver in it and push forward.The screwdriver releases the clips.
Just take note if you remove the alarm you will have no fire protection.
Hover out the sensors and then refit and see if that solves if not replace alarm

kissmequick

Well it's a chirp I think yeah. It sounds like someone's runners squeaking on a wooden floor. What would something sounding be like? It was going full whack today for 4 hours. And it usually for the last few days sounds / chirps whatever it's called twice a day at the opposite ends of the day for around an hour, today it has been much longer. I actually recorded it today for 9 minutes to get my Landlord to listen to it in case it's not the Battery. But it usually is the Battery though isn't it? It chirps every 44 seconds!

Yeah I know I know I won't have protection if I remove the thing but shure what else can I do until I get to a Shop and get a Battery or whatever is needed for it.

If there's a chance it could be something faulty I don't want to go opening it up and messing about at it. But shure I guess only way I'll know is change Battery and see or clean any dust in it. Thanks though. Hope it doesn't put other one off-kilter if I go messing at this one.

Robbie.G

kissmequick wrote: »

Well it's a chirp I think yeah. It sounds like someone's runners squeaking on a wooden floor. What would something sounding be like? It was going full whack today for 4 hours. And it usually for the last few days sounds / chirps whatever it's called twice a day at the opposite ends of the day for around an hour, today it has been much longer. I actually recorded it today for 9 minutes to get my Landlord to listen to it in case it's not the Battery. But it usually is the Battery though isn't it? It chirps every 44 seconds!

Yeah I know I know I won't have protection if I remove the thing but shure what else can I do until I get to a Shop and get a Battery or whatever is needed for it.

If there's a chance it could be something faulty I don't want to go opening it up and messing about at it. But shure I guess only way I'll know is change Battery and see or clean any dust in it. Thanks though. Hope it doesn't put other one off-kilter if I go messing at this one.

On an ei smoke alarm when the battery needs replacing it lets a chirp/beep
Every 40 seconds.
Sounding means alarm ringing.
If it's not ringing just replace battery it's a 9v one remove alarm as discribed and change battery

kissmequick

I've lived in quite a few different houses down through the years and have never had a Smoke Alarm at this shyte. :mad: It's probably a big giant of an expensive Battery too and all I'd say.

Actually, on a side-note, the other one is in the Sitting-Room, which, has an open-fire, which, I havn't lit yet as I've been coming and going a lot so didn't bother, but shure as soon as I light the bloody thing, won't this one that's located here detect the lit fire?!?

Robbie.G

kissmequick wrote: »

I've lived in quite a few different houses down through the years and have never had a Smoke Alarm at this shyte. :mad: It's probably a big giant of an expensive Battery too and all I'd say.

Actually, on a side-note, the other one is in the Sitting-Room, which, has an open-fire, which, I havn't lit yet as I've been coming and going a lot so didn't bother, but shure as soon as I light the bloody thing, won't this one that's located here detect the lit fire?!?

Check here

http://www.eielectronics.com/index.php/downloads/smoke-alarm-manuals.html?download=40:alarm-manual

kissmequick

Thanks but the Instructions are useless to me. Thanks for your help though. :mad::(

Dfmnoc

try disconnecting and taking out the battery and leave it out over night. the electronics in the alarm can sometimes hold power for an amount of time

Robbie.G

kissmequick wrote: »

Thanks but the Instructions are useless to me. Thanks for your help though. :mad::(

They tell you how to remove the alarm to replace battery

Littlehorny

Dfmnoc wrote: »

try disconnecting and taking out the battery and leave it out over night. the electronics in the alarm can sometimes hold power for an amount of time

This is true, had a beeping alarm one night and had no battery in the house. The thing kept beeping away on the kitchen table, had to put it in the shed till the next morning!:)

kissmequick

Yeah I tried following what they said but it didn't take off the cover. I'm fully aware it's not rocket-science but this is me we're talking about here. :pac::o:D I'm not sure if I'm getting the Screwdriver in correctly. I do actually own 2 different Screw-driver Sets, and I actually have 4 different flat pieces to put on a Screwdriver, but I have to say, it feels like none of the flat pieces at all fit into the slot in the Alarm correctly / cosily or whatever but I obviously don't use Screwdrivers much so I wouldn't have a clue anyway, but, if it was a 4-point Screwdriver it might be easier to kind-of tell when it's in and to unscrew / twist / push / pull whatever, but when there's no space at all between the ceiling and the Alarm and I can't see what I'm at, - it ain't happening!

Would probably be better with just an individual small Screwdriver but I'm not going out buying another Screwdriver. Or maybe I will.

If ya put in a 4point Screwdriver into something, like, it kind-of holds it grasps it some way, and ya can twist it no problem screw in or twist the thing off or whatever ya want to do, but when it's flat I don't know and I don't want to break it. I think I have something cracked in the Alarm when I went at the other day! Anyway It hasn't chirped for the last 3 days!!

It might be better if where ya put in the Screwdriver was somehow on the bottom half of the alarm and not the top half!! Might be able to see what I'm doing then. The bottom-half would be at my eye-height the top-half I'm just fiddling around can't see up to top half of the Bloody alarm. The fact that I've actually managed to get the Screwdriver anywhere near the Alarm is an achievement for me really, considering I'm standing on a chair on the effing Landing of all places with the stairs over my shoulder, and the walls just a wee bit away from arms-length reach so I've nothing to hold onto if I topple, add in, me being over-weight not trusting putting my full weight on/into the chair in case I break the chair!! :rolleyes::pac: plus the fact that doing any fiddling about with the Alarm involves me putting my both hands up in the feicin air so I've nothing to hold onto or no balance. :mad::rolleyes: Great fun!

Plus I'm afraid I'll pull down half the ceiling with the alarm.

I suppose I could go at the Downstairs one here, can see the Alarm fully here downstairs, and might have a go at taking off the cover off this one. Hope this one doesn't start chirping though!

Robbie.G

kissmequick wrote: »

Yeah I tried following what they said but it didn't take off the cover. I'm fully aware it's not rocket-science but this is me we're talking about here. :pac::o:D I'm not sure if I'm getting the Screwdriver in correctly. I do actually own 2 different Screw-driver Sets, and I actually have 4 different flat pieces to put on a Screwdriver, but I have to say, it feels like none of the flat pieces at all fit into the slot in the Alarm correctly / cosily or whatever but I obviously don't use Screwdrivers much so I wouldn't have a clue anyway, but, if it was a 4-point Screwdriver it might be easier to kind-of tell when it's in and to unscrew / twist / push / pull whatever, but when there's no space at all between the ceiling and the Alarm and I can't see what I'm at, - it ain't happening!

Would probably be better with just an individual small Screwdriver but I'm not going out buying another Screwdriver. Or maybe I will.

If ya put in a 4point Screwdriver into something, like, it kind-of holds it grasps it some way, and ya can twist it no problem screw in or twist the thing off or whatever ya want to do, but when it's flat I don't know and I don't want to break it. I think I have something cracked in the Alarm when I went at the other day! Anyway It hasn't chirped for the last 3 days!!

It might be better if where ya put in the Screwdriver was somehow on the bottom half of the alarm and not the top half!! Might be able to see what I'm doing then. The bottom-half would be at my eye-height the top-half I'm just fiddling around can't see up to top half of the Bloody alarm. The fact that I've actually managed to get the Screwdriver anywhere near the Alarm is an achievement for me really, considering I'm standing on a chair on the effing Landing of all places with the stairs over my shoulder, and the walls just a wee bit away from arms-length reach so I've nothing to hold onto if I topple, add in, me being over-weight not trusting putting my full weight on/into the chair in case I break the chair!! :rolleyes::pac: plus the fact that doing any fiddling about with the Alarm involves me putting my both hands up in the feicin air so I've nothing to hold onto or no balance. :mad::rolleyes: Great fun!

Plus I'm afraid I'll pull down half the ceiling with the alarm.

I suppose I could go at the Downstairs one here, can see the Alarm fully here downstairs, and might have a go at taking off the cover off this one. Hope this one doesn't start chirping though!

I can't help anymore than this without going and doing it for you
http://youtu.be/7AQvjqhnHTE
If all else fails call in an electrician