Vent, Valve & Volt
Smoke detector chirping or beeping

You can fix this

Likely cause: a low battery

A single chirp every 30 to 60 seconds is the low-battery warning. A fresh battery fixed it.

Why this happens

NFPA and Kidde both describe a single chirp at regular intervals as the low-battery signal. Kidde says the low-battery chirp repeats every 30 to 60 seconds for at least seven days, and some newer alarms let you hush it for up to 12 hours while you get a battery.

How to fix it

  1. Press and hold TEST to confirm the alarm sounds with the new battery.
  2. Write the date on the battery or the alarm so you know when you changed it.
  3. Test every smoke alarm in the home once a month. NFPA recommends a monthly test.
  4. Note the manufacture date. NFPA says all smoke alarms must be replaced 10 years after that date.

If this does not fix it, tell the licensed electrician

  • If it chirps again soon after: the alarm's brand, model and manufacture date.
  • Whether other alarms in the house chirp too.

Build the full list: what to tell the licensed electrician.

Start this troubleshooter over

References (every fact above comes from one of these pages)
  1. NFPA: Smoke alarms
  2. Kidde: Consistent chirping causes
  3. Kidde: Smoke alarm battery replacement

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