According to Rush Electrical Service, the premier provider of electrical installation, repair, and maintenance services, smoke detectors are an important part of your home. Alarms such as smoke detectors are a building code requirement.

Every year, more than 2,000 people lose their lives in residential fires. That is why early detection of a fire is critical. A smoke alarm stands guard around the clock, and when it detects smoke, it sounds a shrill alarm. If you require fire alarm services, look no further.

However, you might often hear your smoke alarm chirp even when there is no fire. You might have been woken up in the middle of the night to the chirp of your smoke alarm. How does it happen? Is it a cause for concern?

It’s all about batteries. By standards, smoke alarms are powered by batteries. The reason is that if you power a smoke alarm with electricity, a fire can easily cut off the power supply, rendering the alarm useless. Hence, smoke alarms run on batteries.

A chirp is a smoke alarm’s way of alerting you of a low battery. But why does it mostly chirp at one in the morning, you say? The temperature from 1 to around 3 in the morning is generally cooler. And since smoke alarms use lithium-ion batteries, cold temperatures can cause their voltage to drop.

The drop in temperature affects the chemical reaction that triggers the smoke detector’s battery alarm. Note that the chirp doesn’t always mean the battery is about to die. Sometimes, it’s only the temperature. But it does pay to be safe and check the batteries on your alarm every so often.

Don’t make your knowledge of why your smoke alarm chirps a reason not to test the battery or replace it. The smoke detector may have lost significant power, and you don’t want to be left with a non-functioning alarm. A dead smoke alarm can endanger your and your family’s lives.

Here are other reasons your smoke alarm is chirping:

• There is smoke in your home.

There is a chance that smoke within your home is causing the smoke alarm to go off. Smoke particles from overcooked popcorn or a puff from the oven can cause the alarm to beep.

Fires are difficult to locate inside the walls, floors, or ceilings. Sometimes, running the back of your hand along the surface of the wall or ceiling to feel warmth will reveal where the potential fire is hiding. 

Call the fire department immediately and evacuate your home if you suspect there’s a fire in the wall.

• The detector’s batteries are dead.

A smoke detector beeps or chirps when it begins to lose power. While it gives the occupants a heads-up that the battery is running low, it can be unpleasant. 

A smoke detector with a low battery can still function for around 30 days, but it is best not to risk trying to find out if it can last that long. Instead, replace the battery as soon as possible.

• The alarm is defective.

Sometimes, it is the smoke alarm itself that needs replacing, not the battery. Most manufacturers design their products to last for about 5 to 10 years.

After a decade, some of the alarm’s components may no longer function properly. You can judge the unit’s age by the manufacture date printed on the back of the alarm.

• The pull tab may need attention.

If you recently changed your smoke alarm’s battery, but it still keeps on chirping, you may have neglected a minor detail. On some alarms, there’s a small peg that you should pull out to remove the battery. Ensure to push this peg back in once the battery is replaced.

• The battery cover is open.

Some smoke alarms encase the battery in a small drawer. When replacing the unit’s battery, ensure it fits within the slot and closes the drawer completely. If the drawer is not securely closed, the battery may not make proper contact with the terminals, causing the alarm to chirp.