There are few things more irritating than a fire alarm that won’t stop beeping at your place of business. But more importantly, beeping alarms can be a sign of malfunction or some other problem that needs to be fixed. Fixing the issue instead of putting up with the beeping can help better protect your building and employees from harm. Below, we’re going to discuss why your alarm may be beeping and how to fix it.
Why is My Fire Alarm Beeping?
Fire alarms beep for a variety of reasons, so it’s important first to figure out what your system is trying to communicate to you. Blaring and continuous alarm sounds are often a sign that your fire alarm detected smoke or fire, but chirping can also be a sign of an issue.
If your alarm is making a consistent chirp noise at regular intervals, it’s likely that the battery needs to be replaced, your alarm has malfunctioned, or there is interference from another nearby alarm. Irregular chirping without regular intervals usually indicates that the battery is loose or your connection isn’t good if your alarm is hardwired. However, inconsistent chirping can also indicate that the alarm is nearing the end of its useful life or that a sensor is dirty and needs to be cleaned.
How to Fix the Beeping
Now that you know why your system is beeping, let’s go over how to fix the issue depending on the source of the problem.
1) Smoke – your alarm may be tripped by smoke or steam from cooking, or from increased humidity from a hot shower depending on the sensor’s location. If your alarm is blaring and you have confirmed there is no fire, try clearing the air around your sensor to silence the alarm.
2) Battery – if your alarm is chirping at regular intervals, chances are that the battery needs to be replaced. Remove the old battery, and install a new one to end the beeping. Just make sure never to leave the battery out of the detector without replacing it, as this renders the smoke detector useless.
3) Debris – your fire alarm’s sensors need to be very sensitive to be able to report potential fires quickly, but this sensitivity can lead to chirping if your sensors are impeded by any kind of debris. Wipe your detector clean of dust and cobwebs, and use a can of keyboard cleaner to blow any debris out of the vents of your alarm.
4) Alarm Needs Maintenance – Lastly, your alarm may be malfunctioning for some other reason, so if the above options don’t fix the problem, you may need to replace the alarm altogether.
Constant beeping from your business’s fire alarm can be annoying, but it’s imperative for your building’s and employees’ safety to get the issue corrected rather than dealing with the beeping or disabling your alarm. Commercial alarms are more complex than residential alarms, so always contact an expert for guidance if you’re unsure about the reason for the beeping or simply want to make sure your system is functioning properly.
