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chirping hard wired smoke alarms

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BruceY30

GREENHORN
Joined
Jun 28, 2017
Messages
3
Location
Delaware
I have 5 hard wired smoke detectors through out my home. They get their backup batteries replaced every 6 months with high quality alkaline type. When the electric power goes out, they begin to chirp alternating from each one, one at a time. Are they getting old? The house is 17 years old. The smoke alarm info follows
BRK Electronics
Model 4120SB
Issue #61,161
I assume date of manufacture 2008 MAR 15
 
May be the way they are set up.
I have seen different brands do different things


Sounds like they are interconnected, which has been required for awhile.

When the power is out and you push the test button,,, do they all still sound??

At the ten year mark they all need to be replaced. With interconnected ones, if that is what you have now.
 
I've had that problem in a new house, the backup batteries constantly going out and chirping, a couple of these are 30' high. I finally told my customer to disconnect the very high ones, the danger of falling off ladders changing batteries is more than the possibility of a fire. When a home has a backup generator I see no reason to have backup batteries in smokes.
 
Smoke alarms/CO detectors have a operating life of around 8-10 years.........mine start chirping around then, I replaced them.......problem solved.
 
BruceY30 said:
I assume date of manufacture 2008 MAR 15
Click to expand...

What convinced you of that?

There should be a date of manufacture on the label. Many have an expiration date as well. In any event, they are old and should be replaced with the ten year battery model.
 
ICE said:
What convinced you of that?

There should be a date of manufacture on the label. Many have an expiration date as well. In any event, they are old and should be replaced with the ten year battery model.
Click to expand...


Not sure if hardwired comes in the ten year battery
 
cda said:
Not sure if hardwired comes in the ten year battery
Click to expand...
Yeah, I was glad to see hardwired come into the code to get rid of the battery problems, in the end they vastly complicated it, does anybody know the brand name of a good hardwired smoke alarm that doesn't have battery problems? That way we builders can tell our architects what to specify.
 
I called phone number on back of alarm. Turns out BRK and First Alert are same company. They suggested since 17 years old, I should replace. Went out yesterday and bought enough to swap out all hard wired alarms I have
 
conarb said:
Yeah, I was glad to see hardwired come into the code to get rid of the battery problems, in the end they vastly complicated it, does anybody know the brand name of a good hardwired smoke alarm that doesn't have battery problems? That way we builders can tell our architects what to specify.
Click to expand...
Low voltage with a single battery for the system. On the other end of the spectrum is wireless with 10 year battery that can be interconnected.
 
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