Electronic Alarms and Home Security Devices - Smoke Dectector Won't Stop Chirping

Hi,

I have many (6) smoke dectectors in my house -- only one (the upstairs) seems to be wired in, the rest are battery operated throw aways. One keeps chirping and it sounds like it is in my basement (where I have 3 in various places). I have replaced all batteries. I have now taken out all batteries and it is still chirping. When I am standing under one, it sounds like it is the one in the other room. I go over to it, it chirps and sounds like it is in the room I just left. These things have me running from room to room and I am going crazy. How can the chirping continue when there are no batteries in them? It is a chirp about every 30 seconds or so and has been going on for weeks now. I assume it is the basement because when I close the basement door, the chirping is quieter. Can anyone help?

is it possible there is one you dont see?? maybe in a box of junk that you forgot about??

years ago there were some smoke alarms that ran on a battery that cost + $6.oo each, it was a 11 or 12 volt round battery.... those would hold a little bit of power & still make noise with no battery- not that it would work without a battery, just that it would still chirp a few days without one.

when you say "wired in" are you talking that it runs on 120 volt a/c & has battery back-up ... or that its tied into an alarm system?

If its a newer house with 120 volt wired smoke alarms, i doubt the builder only installed 1, years ago it was required 1 be on every floor. its possible that some of those went bad, and rather than spend a few more dollars to replace the bad ones, some installed a battery "throw-away" one in its place.

I would check and be certain that there isnt a 120 volt wired one installed somewhere in the basement

In the basement, you say?

Check for a plug-in carbon monoxide detector, as well. People install them, then forget they are down there because stuff gets piled in front of them. They also have backup batteries.

In any case, some smoke alarm models also chirp when the sensing chamber is too dirty. In that case, don't waste your time trying to clean it, just replace it.

Look for anything that runs with a battery. With a chirp every 30 seconds you can use a roll of paper like a megaphone held up to your ear as a direction finder. You will look a bit silly but no one will be watching. My mystery beep turned out to be a co detector packed away in a box.

Good Luck
Bud

hello Locktec, I don't see any wires where the smoke detectors are -- they are screwed into wood on the ceiling. Now the one I think is wired is upstairs and I will check it to be sure it is a wired one...maybe it isn't LOL. I am useless. All the dectors have a 9V battery. I just don't understand the chirping with no battery in it. It could be like you suggested...one in a box as I have not unpacked all of my boxes since I moved in 2 yrs ago. I do have a co detector but it is upstairs on the main floor and it is the only one that I have. There are many toys down there too ... but normally they don't beep when going bad, they just die.

Thank you for trying to help :o)

Thank you Bud, I gave it a try but again, it took me from one side of a room to the other (didn't work).

Hi MrRonFL, thank you for replying. I have vacuumed all the detectors just in case it was dust. I took one right down. I wonder .. will the beeping ever stop? If there is one in a box somewhere, will it ever just die?

All you can really do is to _listen_ and try to triangulate in on the sound. I suspect that it's something you never really thought about.

I've gone on the following service calls for beeping smokes. Someone's pager, a cell phone voicemail and an old battery operated smoke detector in a closet.
Do you have a drop ceiling in the basement? If so, sometimes there's a smoke detector that was there before the ceiling went up and was never brought down to the new ceiling. Poke your head up there and take a look/listen. Usually near the stairs.