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Electrical Wiring

beeping smoke alarm

15 years ago

Today, I installed a new hard-wired smoke alarm. It began beeping at 40 second intervals. I shut off the power to the alarm and it continued to beep at 40 second intervals. When I disconnected the alarm, it stopped beeping. There is no battery to replace and there are no other alarms in my house. It seems that the act of connecting the alarm triggers something even though it is not powered. Help! What do I do now?

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Comments (3)

hendricus
15 years ago
Are you sure there is no battery? Hardwired smoke alarms normally have a battery backup in case the fire takes the power out before the alarma can go off.

Look for a small door on the face and then a battery that you have to remove a piece of paper from one of the terminals.
joed
15 years ago
It can't beep if there is NO power. There must be a permanent non changeable battery in it.
Post a make and model. There is probably something in the manual that will explain it.
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countryboymo
15 years ago
most bombs continue to beep even if you remove the power, did you cut the blue wire instead of the red one? I am so sorry to hear of your fate...

Ok here is the scoop.. most hardwired smoke alarms have a battery backup that is not replaceable without replacing the unit. I had one that the contacts to the battery which was a disk style battery like a large watch battery had dust contamination and I took the detector apart and cleaned the contacts with alcohol and put it back together, no more beeping and it worked after reinstalling it, simply amazing! I do NOT recommend this and would not do it again thinking back about what if I had a fire and was asleep and it did not work. I just gave the low down that some have batteries and how I know.

buy a new unit and replace it. THEN take it apart and see whats in there!

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