How To Stop Smoke Detector From Chirping Without Battery? Complete Guide

Wondering how to stop smoke detector from chirping without battery? Look no further, because we’ve got you covered!

By the end of this guide, you will know all possible ways to prevent your smoke detector from chirping and everything the users reported!

To stop your smoke detector from chirping or beeping, make sure the device is clean out of any dust, prevent environmental factors from triggering the beeping, and check the circuit breaker. Then, replace the battery and make sure it is installed properly.

Before proceeding with the potential solutions, let’s first learn more about the main suspects that you’ll be focusing on.

Why Smoke Detector Is Chirping Without A Battery?

Typically, hardwired smoke alarm units include a backup battery, which is the reason your device keeps making the chirping sounds.

However, these types of units often require a reset once the battery is ejected in order to suppress the chirping.

Let’s take a look at what could cause the chirping with hardwired units and battery-operated units only.

Why Hardwired Smoke Detector Chirping Without Battery?

If your hardwired unit keeps beeping without a battery, it is most likely due to the fact that the backup battery became active.

Keep in mind that a backup battery unit is only available with a hardwired unit and if your smoke alarm is battery-only operated, the reason for the chirping is elsewhere.

The chirping with hardwired units might also indicate a fault with the backup battery or with the unit itself.

It is possible that the backup battery of your hardwired detector became active long ago, but the chirping started once its charge started to run out.

Why Battery-Operated Detector Chirping Without Battery?

If your battery-only-operated unit keeps chirping, even without a battery inserted in, you must make sure that the battery drawer is close all the way.

As the smoke alarm becomes “weaker” over time, the chirping will intensify to alert you that a battery replacement is necessary.

In addition, dirty hardware might also cause your alarm to chirp sometimes, so you must make sure that the maintenance is on point.

Now that you know what might have caused the chirping in your smoke alarm, let’s proceed with the best troubleshooting solutions we’ve managed to extract from users like you!

How To Stop Hard Wired Smoke Detector From Chirping Without Battery?

Since more users are interested in resolving the chirping issue with their hard-wired smoke detector unit, we will mainly be targeting solutions of that sort.

If your smoke detector is battery only, however, you might still acquire some useful solutions from our guide.

Now, here are the best solutions to fix the chirping of your hard-wired smoke detector unit.

Solution #1 Close The Backup Battery-Drawer

Most often, hard-wired smoke alarms would have a backup battery in case the power goes off.

This is meant to indicate possible fire even when the AC power cord does not supply the unit with any electricity.

This backup battery, however, has a battery drawer as well. If left open, your smoke alarm will chirp every few minutes to indicate that the battery drawer is being opened.

You must make sure that the latch is closed and secured to prevent the smoke alarm from chirping pointlessly any further.

Solution #2 Replace The Backup Battery

If the latch wasn’t the case and your smoke alarm kept beeping, it is possible that the backup battery of your hardwired unit is dead.

Keep in mind that even if your smoke alarm’s AC power cord is supplying the device with electricity all the time, the backup battery could still run out.

Here is how to replace the backup battery in your hardwired smoke alarm:

1. On the side of your smoke alarm, there should be two screws that you have to remove.
2. Once unscrewed, you will have to grab the handle and pull the battery compartment out.
3. Grab an appropriate replacement battery and place it in the compartment.
4. Put the compartment back together and screw tightly.

Once done, your smoke alarm is most likely to ring a couple of times to clear processor issues after a new replacement, and afterward, unnecessary alarms should stop.

Solution #3 Reconnect The Cables

One of the most frequent causes for your hard-wired smoke alarm unit to chirp is a problem with the cables themselves.

For this solution, we recommend re-connecting and securing all cable connections to make sure everything is established properly.

In addition, you might as well plug your smoke alarm’s AC power adapter into a different outlet to evade possible malfunctions with the current one.

Sometimes, power sources may develop issues, which can actively make your alarm chirp, even without inserted batteries.

Solution #4 Reset The Circuit Breaker

Smoke alarms often could chirp if there is something wrong with your circuit breaker.

If it’s the circuit breaker, the entire room’s wall outlets might have power problems. If the detector is constantly going through outages, the chirping sound will definitely be there.

This is why we recommend resetting the breaker to fix your hard-wired smoke alarm from any useless chirping that could be happening with no proper reason.

Here is how to reset your circuit breaker:

1. On the panel, locate the circuit breaker of the room where your smoke alarm is.
2. Press the switch all the way down and wait for 15 seconds.
3. Slowly turn the circuit breaker switch back to the ON position.

Once you’re done, your smoke alarm will restart, and afterward, the chirping should stop. If the sound does not stop, you can test in another room!

Solution #5 Use The Hush Button

If you’re still wondering how to stop smoke detector from chirping without battery, you should know that there is a hush button intended exactly for this purpose.

If your smoke alarm has an in-built hush button, this is the way to determine where the issue is coming from.

If your alarm is beeping due to set mode, with the hush button you should be able to suppress it for 7 minutes straight.

If the beeping refers to internal hardware or software issues, the chirping won’t stop even when pressing the hush button on your smoke alarm’s bottom panel.

Depending on the outcome you’ll have a clear realization of where the problem is coming from.

Solution #6 Reset Your Hard-Wired Alarm

If the chirping doesn’t stop, then the most reasonable alternative you have left is to reset your hard-wired alarm.

Sometimes the chirping might involve some internal software issue and with a firm factory reset, you should be able to resolve the issue once and for all.

Having that said, here is how to factory reset your hard-wired smoke alarm:

1. Unplug the power supply of your smoke alarm.
2. Wait for 15 seconds in order for the device to discharge.
3. Press and hold the Protect’s button for 10 seconds straight.
4. Wait for the protection’s a verbal countdown that will erase all of your settings.

Keep in mind that you will have to re-establish any settings that the reset has erased.

Users suggest writing down any modes or schedules you have set to your smoke alarm in order to make the recovery easier.

Read Next: How to Cover Smoke Detector in Hotel?

Bottom Line:

To fix your smoke alarm from chirping pointlessly, first discharge the device, use the hush button and reconnect all the cables. Next, you can try resetting the circuit breaker and your smoke alarm as well.

Now that you know how to stop smoke detector from chirping without battery, you should be able to follow our easy solutions without a sweat!

After all, sometimes your smoke alarm’s end of life could have come, and you will have to consider replacing the smoke detector.

For more guides such as this one, check out our technical blog!