Smoke detector info from First Alert
 

I have had a strange thing happen over the past few days. My smoke detector that is in the peak of my living room ceiling starts chirping at about 10:15 each night. I thought it was a weak battery but it actually stopped chirping on its own. The next night - it started again!

My thermostat is set to go down to 62 at night because I like the house cold and the last few nights have certainly been cold! I have confirmed with a couple of night and early morning tests that, if I turn the thermostat up to 64 (my daytime setting), the chirping stops!

I called First Alert and they told me it is definitely the battery reacting to cold - they just don't work as well as they start getting old. While on the phone, she told me to use Duracell Coppertops or EveryReady Energizer. These are the batteries recommended in the user guide. Also - the use by date for the batteries should be 4 years away. Still should replace every year! Hope this helps anyone else trying to solve the mystery of the intermittent chirps!

friend who is renting had the detector start chirping one afternoon and called their prop mgmt. contact - they went out and changed the battery - neighbor told them that they could have called the fire dept and they would have provided the batteries for free, too!

great service here in the villages!

I would hope if your able, you would not call the fire department to change a battery for you. That service should be reserved for those not capable of doing that simple choir themselves.

Not such a simple chore when you are 72 and the smoke detector is 9 feet up. I've been told that the fire department doesn't want older people climbing up on ladders.

Remember, I said IF YOU ARE ABLE. Our firefighters are a valuable resource for us all and should not be used when not necessary. Now if you are older or handicapped, PLEASE do not climb up on a ladder. Fortunately, residents of the Villages for the most part are healthy able bodied folks that should do their own simple tasks. Like myself, I am only 65 and can jump 9 feet in the air, so I would be wasting valuable firefighter resources if I called them to replace a battery in an alarm. Can you see my point?

Couple weeks ago my wife set the alarm on her iPhone for 6 am so she would get up in time to go to a crafts class. This is probably the first time she used the phone alarm.

Next morning at 6 am the smoke alarms in the house went off!

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I believe the FD will change out the batteries but you must supply them with the batteries.
In this case, the occupants are renting and have a property managment company taking care of the house. The property managment company would be the ones to call, not the fire department.

Some First Alert Smoke Detectors are defective and chirp whenever they feel like.

Several instances here in Bonita where they drove house owners crazy til disconnected.

Call to the 800 Number resulted in new devices being sent free.

That fixed the issue!

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When I have one start chirping I change them all. The Villages FD doesn't run that much. Yes, they don't want the elderly climbing ladders to change out batteries. Do the ones you can reach easily, any out of reach, let the FD do. It's good P.R. for them. JMHO.

Replaced the battery in one of mine (hard wired) and did the usual test by holding the button. To my surprise I could hardly hear it. Another new battery and a few more tests, didn't help. A new one was about $14. Check yours regularly.

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The fire department doesn't care if you're disabled in any way or not. They really do prefer that you call them to replace the batteries -- even young old folks can fall off ladders. They do ask that you provide the batteries and a ladder. They will not come if they receive an emergency call. They will leave in the middle of replacing batteries if they get an emergency call. No one is any jeopardy by utilizing this service and anyone is at risk to fall from a ladder.