Why is Smoke Detector Beeping?

In order to make buildings safer and avoid the probability of fire, most people have installed smoke alarms in buildings, but many people don’t know much about smoke alarms. How can we solve the problem if it keeps beeping? Is the smoke alarm going off for no reason because formaldehyde exceeds the standard? In fact, this has nothing to do with formaldehyde, it may involve a variety of reasons.

There are many types of smoke detectors, the most commonly used of which are household smoke detectors, wireless smoke detectors and stand-alone smoke detectors. Reasons for beeping are listed below: Effect of water vapor and humidity during cooking, smoke, batteries, dust. Details as follows:

Battery

This situation is very common and is usually a security measure. The chirps every minute or so (intervals and sounds vary by model, but all have low-battery warning features) when the battery is dying, which might be dismissed by some as a false alarm. When the battery power of the smoke sensor is low, its internal buzzer will make a dripping sound every once in a while, reminding the battery to be replaced in time, as long as the new battery is replaced, it will not beep again. If your smoke alarm is out of batteries, buy new batteries and replace them according to the instructions.

Most of the household use is an independent smoke alarm, which is characterized by battery power supply, does not need to be connected to the mains, and is very convenient to use. However, the battery power is limited, and if it is used for a long time, the power will be insufficient, and the alarm will sound an alarm. Therefore, it is recommended that home users test the alarm every week to ensure that it is in normal working condition.

The smoke detector is an electronic device that works for a long time, and its battery is generally valid for one year, and it should be replaced when it expires to prevent damage caused by battery leakage. In theory, the service life of the smoke detector can reach 10 years, but this is only a theoretical figure. Electronic equipment may fail due to various factors, so we should check it regularly. It is recommended to do it every six months to prevent it from failing and causing errors.

Muffling or detection

Most smoke alarms on the market are equipped with a silencing function. If the smoke alarm keeps beeping and we want to turn it off, just press the silencing button. If there is no smoke, we want to see if the smoke detector is working, or press the silencer button to test. Find a button for silence or self-test, press this button and it will stop sounding, but if the smoke alarm sounds frequently when there is no smoke, then you must find out the reason for the sound of the smoke alarm and check it processing, otherwise it may be started later.

Dust

After the old-fashioned smoke alarm has been used for a long time, dust has accumulated inside, and too much dust inside will make the alarm more sensitive. Once there is a little smoke, it will also be affected and the alarm will sound, so we must clean up in time, regularly remove the dust from the smoke alarm detector, and clean the alarm. Its sensors are generally required to be cleaned every six months to ensure the stability of its work and prevent some dust from causing false alarms.

There are also some models of smoke detectors with too much dust, which will cause the infrared rays in the maze to be reflected and cause false alarms. This situation is especially obvious in places where there is usually a lot of dust in the air. At this time, it is necessary to contact the manufacturer or a professional to clean the detector labyrinth, or replace the smoke detector of the hot wire type. The so-called hot wire type refers to the hot wire design of the probe, which is not easy to be contaminated with oily smoke and will not reduce the sensitivity.

Smoke

The independent smoke alarm does not need wiring and is powered by batteries. When the smoke concentration reaches a certain value, it will emit an alarm sound to warn. Because the smoke particles produced by high cooking temperatures are so small that they are invisible to the human eye, many smoke alarms give false alarms about cooking fumes. Because the highly sensitive sensor inside the detector is sensitive to very small smoke particles. Steam or moisture can collect on the sensor and circuit board, and it will sound an alarm if there is too much condensed steam.

In addition, we must have a general understanding and correct judgment of the alarm flashing light. If the diode flashes rapidly at the same time as the alarm, it means that the detector of the smoke alarm is running, and there is likely to be smoke.

Service life

The smoke alarm has its own service life, and the aging or faulty alarm will also give a false alarm. At this time, a new alarm may need to be replaced. This situation needs to be repaired by professionals.

Smoke alarm structure and principle

Smoke alarms are made up of two parts:

1. Inductive sensors for detecting smoke.
2. Very loud electronic speakers.

From the sensors used, it can be divided into ion smoke alarms and photoelectric smoke alarms. The ion sensor has a very small radiation source inside, and the radiation can cause the ionization of nearby materials to form an electric field. When smoke enters, the change in the amount of ionized substances causes the change of the electric field, and the presence of smoke can be detected by detecting the change of the electric field.

The photoelectric smoke detector sensor is to send a beam of light to the side of the receiver. Normally, the receiver cannot receive the light. When there is smoke, due to the refraction, reflection and scattering of the smoke, the receiver can receive the light and send out a signal.

The principle of the smoke alarm is that when the smoke enters the detector and causes the internal current balance (ion type) or the infrared receiving signal is abnormal (photoelectric type), an alarm signal will be generated. If the detector is covered so that the smoke cannot enter, it will not be detected. Smoke and dust, no alarm will occur.

Smoke alarm installation location requirements

In order to minimize the occurrence of failure, the installation position of the smoke alarm is very important. When the smoke alarm is installed in some places with high temperature, high humidity and oily smoke, it will increase the possibility of false alarms. For example, in the kitchen, if it is too close to the stove, the probability of false alarms will increase. The correct way is to stay away from such places. Even important appliances that are most likely to cause fires should be kept at a distance of 0.5-2.5 meters to reduce the possibility of false alarms.

Therefore, it is suggested that the smoke alarm be placed in the living room and bedroom. The bedroom and the living room are two places with relatively large mobility of people, and the significance of the alarm is also relatively great. At this time, when the real fire comes, it will remind you when there is smoke coming in.

In the kitchen, it is recommended to install the smoke alarm 3 meters away from the cooking utensils. In the sleeping area, smoke alarms are installed within 4.5 meters so that everyone can hear the alarm, even if the bedroom door is closed.

In general, as an alarm safety device for preventing fires in the living environment, smoke detectors can greatly protect people's lives and property, and cannot be dismantled at will, and should be paid more attention to and taken care of. In order to make it work well, some regular maintenance and maintenance work must be done, so that it can work normally and reduce the chance of false alarms. You must not be greedy for visual beauty and bring hidden dangers to your own safety.