False Smoke Alarming

Status
Not open for further replies.
G

glunt

Member
Location
Mentor, Ohio
I recently visited my mother's home. For the past few years she has been experiencing a minor problem with a battery-powered smoke alarm. It seems when she turns on the bathroom light, the smoke alarm (FirstAlert battery-operated) provides a brief duo-chirp, after about 3 seconds. The light-switch is about 5 feet away, on an adjacent wall in the hall. The single-pole switch operates an incandescent overhead lamp in the bathroom. I checked the connections on the switch and found a loose terminal, concluding that was the problem, but it didn't help when I tightened the connection. I didn't have my Gaussmeter to see if it was and EMF problem. I never heard of such a thing. I searched the FirstAlert website to no avail. Anyone ever had a problem like this? I didn't try moving the smoke alarm further away because it is in a position which makes sense from a fire alert perspective.
 
J

jimwalker

Senior Member
Location
TAMPA FLORIDA
Re: False Smoke Alarming

Have heard of problems with ac/bat backups when the circuit for smokes are shared with other items.If this is bat only i would try another brand
 
B

bphgravity

Senior Member
Location
Florida
Re: False Smoke Alarming

Are you sure it is not just a coincidental occurance? I had a homeowner claim that everytime she would turn on a light or open the refrigerator door, a smoke alarm would chirp. A chirp is generally produced by a "weak battery" condition. The smoke alarm could also possibly use some cleaning.
 
physis

physis

Senior Member
Re: False Smoke Alarming

They're pretty cheap too. It wouldn't answer any questions but a new one would probably fix it. :)
 
G

glunt

Member
Location
Mentor, Ohio
Re: False Smoke Alarming

To bphgravity: the lady who claimed her smoke alarm chirped when she open the fridge or turned on a light was correct. I've experienced this phenomenon myself, though still don't have an answer. It's not the same chirp as a low-battery chirping, more like a single short chirp followed by a longer chirp. I guess I could try a different brand, but that is hardly an answer. I'll keep on searching for the cause. I'm surprised that nobody has come across this before.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top