Your approach should vary based on the type of power your smoke alarm uses. Your first step is to find the device that’s going off and reset it by pressing and holding the reset button. Show
If that doesn’t work, take the smoke alarm down. If you can, remove the batteries. If your smoke alarm has a lithium battery you can’t take out, muffle it in a blanket, under a sofa cushion, or in your freezer until it stops. As for hardwired smoke alarms, "they’re interconnected through the electrical wires, so if one smoke alarm sounds, they’ll all sound and it can be difficult to figure out what’s going on," Deitrick says. First, try the reset button on each smoke alarm. If that doesn’t work, flipping the circuit breaker off and back on might stop the noise. If all of that fails, your ultimate solution may be to disconnect the smoke alarms and remove their batteries one by one. A small connector at the back of each alarm can be unclipped to let you safely remove it from the network. Then it may be time for new smoke alarms. Here, you'll find some of the top picks from our tests, listed in alphabetical order. For more options, check our smoke and CO detector ratings and our smoke & CO detector buying guide. There are few things more alarming (no pun intended) than your smoke alarm going off. It’s especially annoying, however, when it’s a false alarm. How do you turn off your smoke alarm, and how do you decrease the number of false alerts you get? Using data from top smoke alarm companies and organizations, we’ve got the answers. Want to
stop your smoke alarm from chirping? We’ll tell you how to turn it off without sacrificing your overall fire safety. How To Temporarily Silence AlarmExactly how you’ll stop your smoke alarm from going off will depend on the model and the manufacturer of your device. For Kidde devices, a popular smoke alarm brand, take the following steps: Silence the Alarm in 3 Steps
Why Smoke Alarm Is Going OffThese are some reasons your smoke alarm might be going off aside from actual smoke or a fire:
TIP: To clean your smoke alarm, use a compressed air canister (like one you might use to clean your keyboard). Dust and debris can cause false alarms. How Often To Change Batteries on Smoke AlarmHow often to change your smoke alarm’s batteries will again depend on the manufacturer and model of your alarm. However, most companies recommend that you replace batteries once a year; many people sync this up with daylight saving time as an easy way to remember. How To Reset and Clean Smoke AlarmsAre red and green lights flashing on your smoke alarm? If there are no obvious signs of smoke or fire, then you should reset it and clean it to prevent future false alarms. Hardwired
Battery
How To Get Rid of False AlarmsWe’ve all had smoke alarms that go off when there’s not even smoke, let alone fire. To fix the issue, you have to get to the root of the problem (after you silence the annoying alarm, of course). Possible Causes of False AlarmsThese are some situations and conditions that can cause false alarms in smoke detectors:
How To Get a New Smoke AlarmIf your smoke alarm is old or malfunctioning, it might be time to replace it. Here’s what to look out for. Types of Fire AlarmsFirst, get a dual alarm with sensors for both fast-moving (ionization) and slow-moving (photoelectric) fires. Fast-moving fires include a candle setting a curtain ablaze, while slow-moving fires include electric fires that start in walls.
CostOf the smoke detectors that we’ve tested out, the average cost is around $44, varying by make, manufacturer, and capabilities. PowerYou can either get a battery-powered or a hardwired smoke detector, the latter of which will most likely have a backup battery. If it’s the former, take battery life into consideration. Noise LevelIt’s best to get a smoke alarm of at least 85 decibels so you can hear it even when you’re sleeping. Better yet, all of your smoke alarms should be interconnected so that if one goes off, they all go off. It’s best to get either an electrician or the fire department to install hardwired alarms, though.4 NOTE: 85 decibels is louder than a garbage disposal but not as loud as a blender.5 Operating TemperatureYou’ll need to keep your home at a certain temperature range to suit your smoke alarm, typically about 32 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Below or above those temperatures, the alarm will stop functioning. CO DetectionThese days, most smoke alarms are bundled with CO alarms, which detect deadly carbon monoxide. If you don’t already have one, we recommend buying a combination smoke/CO alarm like the Nest Protect, one of the best smart home devices available. Learn more about how to install CO alarms. Extra SensingSpeaking of the Nest Protect, this device senses temperature, humidity, occupancy, and ambient light in addition to smoke and CO. While these features aren’t typical of smoke alarms, they’re cool extras to look out for if you’re willing to spend considerably more. Self-TestingMany smart smoke detectors test themselves periodically and automatically, ensuring that they’re good on power and are connected to professional monitoring, if applicable. Smart Platform IntegrationsIt’s no secret that we love living in smart homes, where our smart lights turn on automatically, our smart garage door opens for us at the end of the day, and our smart locks make sure we’re always safe when working from home. So why wouldn’t our smoke alarm be smart as well? We prefer alarms that work with our voice assistants, allowing for voice commands as well as home automation. For us, that meant that our doors unlocked when our smoke alarm went off, allowing an easy exit. AlertThe average smoke alarm has sound alerts, but others have voice alerts, color-coded light alerts, and even low-battery alerts. SilencingSince false alerts are the name of the game, it’s important for smoke alarms to have silencing features. CertificationThe smoke alarm should be certified by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or a state’s fire marshal. AppIf the smoke alarm is an IoT device, it should have a mobile app free of bugs. Check out the ratings and reviews on your mobile device’s official app store before purchasing a smoke detector. MonitoringThe most protection means signing up for a smoke alarm with 24/7 professional monitoring. That means that if your alarm goes off and you’re not home and/or miss your mobile notification, someone can contact the fire department for you, no matter the time or day. Vivint is one company that offers professionally monitored smoke alarms. For more information, read our page on Vivint’s pricing. What Fire Alarms Sounds MeanDepending on the make and model of your fire alarm, different sounds can mean different things. The companies First Alert and Kidde make many smoke alarms in the U.S., so we broke it down by those brands. First Alert
Kidde
Where To Install Smoke Alarms in Your HomeAs important as it is to know where to install smoke alarms in your home, it’s equally important to know where not to install them. Alder Smoke DetectorWhere to Install
Where Not to Install
How To Maintain Smoke AlarmsAccording to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), here’s how to maintain different types of smoke alarms by how they’re powered:
What if My Smoke Alarm Beeps When I Cook?You’re in the middle of roasting some delicious butternut squash, and then your smoke alarm goes off, even though there’s very little smoke involved. We’ve all been there. Here’s what to do, according to the USFA:
RecapA beeping smoke alarm is loud, annoying, and obtrusive, but ultimately, it’s better to have a smoke alarm with false alerts than a smoke alarm with no alerts at all. We hope we answered all of your questions about turning off your smoke alarm, and if we didn’t, continue reading below. FAQsGiven the barrage of questions we’ve gotten about how to stop your smoke alarm from chirping, here is some additional information.
How do you turn off an electric smoke detector?Turn off the circuit breaker that controls the alarm's electricity, or remove the device from the power source.. Remove the backup batteries.. Press and hold the silence button for about 20 seconds or until the alarm stops.. How do you stop a hardwired smoke detector from beeping?Wired Alarms. Shut off your home's main power breaker.. Disconnect the alarm unit's power cable.. Take the alarm down.. Take out the backup battery.. Hold the test button for 15 seconds to drain any residual charge.. Re-install or replace the backup battery.. Reconnect the alarm to the power cable.. Replace the alarm.. Why is my USI electric smoke detector beeping?A: Beeping or chirping smoke detectors are about as annoying as it gets. You might already know that a chirp every 30 to 60 seconds indicates a low battery, so you'll quickly attend to changing it. This typically solves the problem, whether the alarm runs entirely on batteries or is hardwired with a battery backup.
How do I temporarily turn off my smoke alarm?Covering the smoke detector with a dishcloth can work. You could also use a shower cap or a rubber band and plastic wrap to temporarily disable the smoke detector. Once again, it is important to remember to uncover it when you are finished cooking.
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