A smoke detector is one of the most important safety devices in your home or your business. In fact, across the country, you legally have to have smoke detectors installed on your property. For the majority of us, we will only hear our smoke detectors go off in the form of a false alarm. And while that can be annoying for some, a smoke detector is still one of the most necessary things you have installed in your home. That being said, we understand that it is frustrating when a smoke detector goes off when there are no emergencies. Here are a few reasons why your alarm may be malfunctioning and how to handle them. 

Why is My Smoke Alarm Going Off

• Bad Batteries: Traditional smoke detectors use the flow of electricity to determine if there is an emergency. When smoke enters the detector it decreases the flow of electricity between two electrically charged plates. This disruption is what causes the alarm to go off. This means any thing that decreases the flow of electricity in a traditional ionization smoke detector can cause the alarm to trigger. If your battery is old your alarm might start going off. Which is actually a helpful reminder to change out the battery every 6 months. 
• Smoke Detector Placement: Depending on when your home or business was built, the placement of smoke detectors may not be ideal. You want a smoke detector on every floor of your property, but having them right next to bathrooms or kitchens can create many false alarms. Smoke/steam from cooking or bathing can cause the alarm to go off. In the short term you can use a fan and a window to push away the steamy/smokey air. In the long-term you should consider hiring an electrician to replace your detectors and move them to areas of the home that make more sense. 
• Age: Overtime any electrical component can stop working properly. Because ionization smoke detectors rely on electrical current flow to determine if smoke is present, it’s not rare for these alarms to malfunction after a few years or decades. If your batteries are new and there is no sign of smoke or steam in the area, consider hiring an electrician to replace your detectors. 

How To Reset Your Smoke Detector

If your detector chirps frequently or goes off randomly you may be able to fix it by resetting the detector. If you have an AC unit with a battery backup you should do the following to reset the smoke detector. First, turn off the power supply to the detector from the circuit breaker. Remove the smoke detector from its mount and disconnect it. Remove the battery. Press the test button for a few seconds until the alarm goes silent. Then reconnect power and the battery, the unit should chirp once and then go silent. If it doesn’t call an electrician to help troubleshoot the issue. 

Residential Electricians in Boston

The team at Cardoso Electrical Services provides maintenance and repair services for homeowners and property owners throughout Greater Boston. If you have an electrical issue, please contact our team.