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Posted By: aldav53 Smoke Detector chirp - 10/12/04 04:40 AM
I have to go look at a smoke detector that chirps and the customer said he already replaced the battery. (there may be more than one, not sure yet). I have seen this before in a house that had several SD tied together, and if I remember right, that one had a connection problem.
Has anyone had them chirp when the power was ok and the Battery had been replaced?
Posted By: Trumpy Re: Smoke Detector chirp - 10/12/04 07:32 AM
Al,
It sounds like there is definitely a wiring problem there somewhere.
First question to the HO would be, if the battery that he replaced the old one with was new?. [Linked Image]
Posted By: e57 Re: Smoke Detector chirp - 10/12/04 07:33 AM
Yep, a bad connection/connector on the "interlink" wire can do that, but a rare item. Sometimes even a bad smoke all together.

But.........

Anybody ever have someone call about a light not working, and they say they changed the bulb, and it still don't work?

Only to get there, and find out they put the same bulb back in! Maybe they put the same, or another dead battery back in.
Posted By: electure Re: Smoke Detector chirp - 10/12/04 11:50 AM
I once did a service call on an ATM up at Vandenberg Air Force Base, about a 16hr day of mostly driving for me.

The new manager showed me the problem, the security light didn't work, and hadn't as long as he'd been there (about a month).

No problem! I'd brought enough parts to practically rebuild the whole ATM....but there was power to the lampholder [Linked Image]

The old manager had been putting the bad light bulbs that he'd removed back in the package (A19 lamps---the old days).

I had to drive to the local Safeway, spend 99 cents for 2 new incandescent lamps as I hadn't brought any with me, and...well you get the picture. [Linked Image]

How many electricians does it take to screw in a lightbulb?? Just one, but it can be quite costly if he's on double time [Linked Image]
Posted By: mustangelectric Re: Smoke Detector chirp - 10/12/04 04:56 PM
i run across this frequently...just this last week as a matter of fact...this is a low battery warning..replace with a good battery..if that doesnt work, check wiring, replace detector..if that doesnt work..

good luck..

mustang
Posted By: SJT Re: Smoke Detector chirp - 10/12/04 07:00 PM
We had a problem with the Red interconnect wire on one of the smokes. It wsa knicked and was touching ground. It was enough to make the smoke det. chirp. We cleared the ground, replaced the detector, and things were fine. I think the Red wire actually carries a low voltage signal to the others. Good luck.
Posted By: NJ Wireman Re: Smoke Detector chirp - 10/12/04 09:56 PM
Run in to this all the time, either batt. bad connection or if there are more then one on the system and they are not all the same brand that will do it. For exp i install brk smokes all the time if you have one first alert in the system somewhere it will churp. check them all look every where attic's crawl included you'd be surprised where peiple put them. good luck
Posted By: Electric Eagle Re: Smoke Detector chirp - 10/13/04 12:15 AM
Quote
Anybody ever have someone call about a light not working, and they say they changed the bulb, and it still don't work?

Only to get there, and find out they put the same bulb back in!

On more than a few calls. They will swear up and down that they change the bulb more than once and it was new, but the "new" bulb is covered with 2 years of dust. That'll be $100 please.
Posted By: ComputerWizKid Re: Smoke Detector chirp - 10/13/04 05:16 PM
Check all conections. I hate firex ones you have to unplug it to change the battery, and So i turned off the CB and unplugged in the whole thing comes down (Cheap rental apt) when I got it back up with a new battery turned back on the CB and it would not shut it, so I take it down and come to find out the neutral wire came out of the wire nut. So I fix it with the propper size wire nut and its fine
Posted By: drgnz23 Re: Smoke Detector chirp - 10/13/04 10:45 PM
the newer smoke detectors will chirp for about fifteen minutes after they have been tested. Some sort of of audible alert that the smoke is working...i ran into this one time
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