Fire alarms are essential warning systems that recognize the presence of smoke and fire, signaling occupants of the building to evacuate. But they can be turned on by mistake, and when this happens, they begin to ring shrilly, even when there is no danger. If your smoke detector or fire alarm makes a sound that is not caused by fire, you should try to silence it. Below are the procedures for disabling home fire alarms.
Assess The Situation First When handling alarms never start moving the equipment without taking a look at the surrounding area first. Do you detect the smell of burning or the physical sight of flames? Scan all the rooms and pay attention to what is being said. If there is smoke, fire, hot temperature, or any unusual smell, one is advised to leave the building and call the fire department from outside. Do not attempt to disable nuisance alarms unless you are confident that there is no actual emergency.
Locate The Source If you have concluded that there is no danger, then attempt to find out which of the devices is making the alarm sound. Home fire warning systems may include smoke detectors, heat detectors, carbon monitor detectors, and a main panel. Smoke detectors are the most common cause of false alarms. Still, any part of an interconnected system can cause the main alarm to be sounded.
Roam around your home taking a whiff of the smell of smoke and touching the ceiling and walls to locate which unit is faulty. If it is a carbon monoxide detector, the Test/Hush button should make the alarm stop. Otherwise, you have to go to the alarm panel to completely turn off the sound.
Check The Alarm Panel In a house with a fire alarm, there will be a master panel that links and controls all the smoke and heat alarms. This panel is often installed on the first floor in a utility room, basement, or garage. Besides the individual detectors around your house, it may also have a loud alarm sounder.
If they are connected correctly, the main panel will show details concerning which detector has gone off. It should have buttons or switches to stop the alarm, check the system, reset it, and determine if there are units that require replacement. The panel may also be annually tested and inspected by your home security company if you have a monitoring service.
Press Silence/Hush Button Every fire alarm panel and most standalone smoke detectors have a silence or hush button to turn off nonessential alarms. To silence the noise for about 10 minutes while you attend to the problem, press this button. This turns off the loud annoying tone but mutes the system for it to be active in case real smoke or fire is picked again.
If there is no panel, just press the hush button on the smoke detector that is making the noise to stop it. These could be smoke detectors that you have wired directly into your electric supply system and are either battery-operated or plugged directly into an outlet. All you need is to find a button with the words Hush, Silence, or anything close to it and press it hard.
Clear Smoke or Solve Problem Once the intruder is gone or the smoke has cleared, now is the time to address the reason the alarm went off in the first place. This is commonly caused by dust accumulation or dirt and insects blocking the sensor, or just plain old and worn-out sensors.
It was perhaps steam from the bathroom or smoke from cooking that triggered it, make sure to open the windows or switch on a fan to clear the surrounding air for the detector. It is suggested that one should avoid using the fan that is located above the stove when cooking since it may interfere with the operation of the smoke alarm and trigger regular false alarms.
For dirt or age contamination, vacuum the outside vents of the smoke detector with a soft brush. After this, use a clean dry microfiber cloth to wipe the surface/area. Do not open the detector body, paint it, or otherwise interfere with it as this may harm some of the internal parts.
Replace Batteries Or Unit If cleaning does not help to eliminate the random false alarms, it might be necessary to replace batteries every 6-12 months, or the detector may have been functioning for about 10 years. This should be replaced as soon as the low-power chirp begins if the batteries are still within the unit. However, make sure to replace the entire smoke detector after 8-10 years as recommended by the manufacturer.
You may also replace only the faulty individual detectors which are connected to a hardwired alarm system without necessarily replacing the entire system. Find out when manufacturers recommend replacement to ensure your fire safety system functions as expected. Smoke detector technology and codes also advance with time and are therefore replaced with newer in-code equipment.
Reactivate And Test System When the battery is new or a new detector is installed, press the reset button on the alarm panel or the individual units to remove any troubles left on the panel. Then test the system again to ensure that it responds correctly by blaring the alarm when the test button is pressed. Any associated alarms should sound a loud alarm when the main panel or solo detectors are triggered.
Contact Security Company In the case of Professionally monitored fire warning systems, the alarm company may have called the fire department as soon as the alarm sounded. Contact your security company to inform them that it was a false alarm and to cancel or confirm the arrival of any emergency responders. There may also be local regulations and charges regarding the number of false fire alarm calls to the emergency services.
It is possible that eliminating annoying fire alarms means changing the humidity, cooking, or some other conditions depending on what is the problem in your specific house. However, a properly functioning, well-maintained fire detection system provides your family with extra smoke alarm protection and assurance. To enhance fire safety, all home fire warning equipment has to be handled with the seriousness it deserves and usage tested now and again even when false alarms occur once in a while.
Protect your home today with ADT’s top-rated security solutions!
Call now at +1 877-470-7879 to get a free consultation and find out how you can secure your home with the best in the business. Don’t wait—ensure your peace of mind with ADT!
