As convenient and necessary as having smoke detectors in the home, false alarms are unfortunately common in some households. During the installation phase, smoke alarms can be set yourself to fail for false alarms from cooking and smoking in the home. That said, there are many causes for smoke detectors to go off.
To trigger your smoke detector, you don’t need to do much. They’re trained to be sensitive. A smoke detector within 5-10 feet of a cooking appliance – i.e. a stove or toaster oven – may be what’s causing the alarm to go off. In some cases, when a smoke detector is installed near a window or door, drafts and air movement can cause the illusion of smoke with fast-moving particles moving across the sensor. Consider another location.
Under no circumstances should you take out the batteries and turn off your smoke detector. It’s central to your home’s security. As tempting as that may be, adjusting the sensitivity or replacing the batteries will often be all you need to do to get the alarm to stop going off. The cause may also necessitate cleaning the smoke detector or moving it to another spot on the ceiling. Smoke detectors are essential for every home and on every floor.
Let’s learn more about what causes smoke detectors to go off:
Cause: High sensitivity when cooking food.
Some smoke detectors are very, very sensitive. It could be a sensitivity issue if you’ve ever set one-off cooking food or slightly overcooking food. The issue here is that you want a smoke detector close to hazards such as an oven and stove but far enough away that the sensors are not set off so easily. If you can manually adjust the sensitivity of your smoke detector, this may be the simplest solution.
Cause: High humidity and high moisture levels
When there is a lot of humidity in the air, dense moisture particles may be confused for smoke by your smoke detector. Extremely high moisture levels can even cause the photoelectric sensors in some smoke alarms to be affected in the same way as smoke. Humidity isn’t the only thing that does this. Steam can, too. If you like to take hot showers and your alarm is right outside your bathroom, this could be what’s causing the trouble.
Cause: Dust buildup affects performance
It is recommended to dust a smoke detector at least once a year with a vacuum brush attachment. This will eliminate any dust that could one day build up and cause smoke alarm performance issues. If you have never dusted your smoke detector and noticed it going off, it could be related to dust buildup. A quick brushing should quickly dislodge any debris, and your smoke detector functionality will be restored, assuming this is the problem.
Cause: Unfamiliar chemical use in the home
Smoke detectors may be sensitive to particles in the air that come from certain chemicals. A household wouldn’t normally use these chemicals daily, but if you’re doing a renovation, a major remodelling, a deep cleaning, or have strong chemicals in use, you may find that this is causing repeated false alarms. If you know you’re only using chemicals for a limited time, you may forego making any changes. If it is a regular occurrence, you may want to move the smoke detector if it’s the right thing to do.
Cause: Type of smoke alarm
There are two main types of smoke detectors: photoelectric and ionization. Photoelectric uses a steady stream of light inside the smoke detector. The alarm triggers as smoke particles enter the chamber and scatter the light. Ionization detects when smoke disrupts the chemistry of ions and electrons. Both can be set off by poor quality manufacturing, high sensitivity, and malfunctioning components inside the alarm. In some cases, buying a new smoke detector is best.
Cause: Small insects caught inside
Though it is rare, it is possible that an insect or multiple insects could have gotten near or inside your smoke detector and are interfering with the sensor. Chamber entrances are small and often perfect for certain pests. If an insect is trapped inside or is searching for a new home and decides your smoke detector looks good, this can cause the smoke alarm to go off for no reason. Be sure to check your smoke detector for bugs if you are concerned this could be the culprit.
Cause: It needs a new battery
Any sort of chirping, repetitive high-pitched beeping, or even a harsh, unfamiliar scream from a smoke detector could signify that the battery’s on its way out. A smoke detector makes a noise to alert you when the batteries need to be changed. Although this isn’t your smoke detector going off per se, it is something to know if your smoke alarm makes noise. To not have to go through this, getting into the habit of replacing smoke alarm batteries once a year is smart.
