# chirping hard wired smoke alarms



## BruceY30 (Jun 28, 2017)

I have 5 hard wired smoke detectors through out my home. They get their backup batteries replaced every 6 months with high quality alkaline type. When the electric power goes out, they begin to chirp alternating from each one, one at a time. Are they getting old? The house is 17 years old. The smoke alarm info follows
BRK Electronics
Model 4120SB
Issue #61,161
I assume date of manufacture 2008 MAR 15


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## cda (Jun 28, 2017)

Welcome


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## cda (Jun 28, 2017)

May be the way they are set up.
I have seen different brands do different things


Sounds like they are interconnected, which has been required for awhile.

When the power is out and you push the test button,,, do they all still sound??

At the ten year mark they all need to be replaced. With interconnected ones, if that is what you have now.


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## cda (Jun 28, 2017)

Kind of not seeing anything, but as I said different smoke alarms do different things


http://www.electricbargainstores.com/v/vspfiles/PDF_spec/BRK/4120SB-manual-english.pdf

As long as they test good under normal and battery power you should be good to go


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## conarb (Jun 28, 2017)

I've had that problem in a new house, the backup batteries constantly going out and chirping, a couple of these are 30' high.  I finally told my customer to disconnect the very high ones, the danger of falling off ladders changing batteries is more than the possibility of a fire.  When a home has a backup generator I see no reason to have backup batteries in smokes.


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## fatboy (Jun 29, 2017)

Smoke alarms/CO detectors have a operating life of around 8-10 years.........mine start chirping around then, I replaced them.......problem solved.


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## tmurray (Jun 29, 2017)

fatboy said:


> Smoke alarms/CO detectors have a operating life of around 8-10 years.........mine start chirping around then, I replaced them.......problem solved.


Just what I was thinking.


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## ICE (Jun 29, 2017)

BruceY30 said:


> I assume date of manufacture 2008 MAR 15



What convinced you of that?

There should be a date of manufacture on the label.  Many have an expiration date as well.  In any event, they are old and should be replaced with the ten year battery model.


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## cda (Jun 29, 2017)

ICE said:


> What convinced you of that?
> 
> There should be a date of manufacture on the label.  Many have an expiration date as well.  In any event, they are old and should be replaced with the ten year battery model.




Not sure if hardwired comes in the ten year battery


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## conarb (Jun 29, 2017)

cda said:


> Not sure if hardwired comes in the ten year battery


Yeah, I was glad to see hardwired come into the code to get rid of the battery problems, in the end they vastly complicated it, does anybody know the brand name of a good hardwired smoke alarm that doesn't have battery problems?  That way we builders can tell our architects what to specify.


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## tmurray (Jun 30, 2017)

cda said:


> Not sure if hardwired comes in the ten year battery


Yes. At least here, they are now coming with a Li-ion battery that never needs changing.


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## cda (Jun 30, 2017)

Forgot

Some ahj's are requiring a ten year battery


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## cda (Jun 30, 2017)

Yes they do make them

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Kidde-Wo...ium-Battery-Back-Up-3-Pack-21025981/205422332

Just need to find dual photo and ion technology


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## BruceY30 (Jul 2, 2017)

I called phone number on back of alarm. Turns out BRK and First Alert are same company. They suggested since 17 years old, I should replace. Went out yesterday and bought enough to swap out all hard wired alarms I have


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## cda (Jul 2, 2017)

Sounds good 

Thought they were made in 2008

Anyway should solve problem


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## Francis Vineyard (Jul 3, 2017)

conarb said:


> Yeah, I was glad to see hardwired come into the code to get rid of the battery problems, in the end they vastly complicated it, does anybody know the brand name of a good hardwired smoke alarm that doesn't have battery problems?  That way we builders can tell our architects what to specify.


Low voltage with a single battery for the system. On the other end of the spectrum is wireless with 10 year battery that can be interconnected.


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## BruceY30 (Jul 3, 2017)

upon looking closer to back of alarm, I was wrong in saying 2008 when it said 2000 actually


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## mark handler (Jul 3, 2017)

BruceY30 said:


> upon looking closer to back of alarm, I was wrong in saying 2008 when it said 2000 actually


Passed it's sell by date.....


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## tmurray (Jul 4, 2017)

BruceY30 said:


> upon looking closer to back of alarm, I was wrong in saying 2008 when it said 2000 actually


Yup, Should have been replaced in 2010.


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