Have you installed smoke alarms? Great! That is an ideal first step to protect your home or office. But what do you do when the smoke detector goes off, and there is no smoke to be seen?
A smoke alarm can be triggered by several causes.
First of all, it's important to be able to tell the difference between a real alarm signal, which usually consists of repeated beeps, and a technical signal, usually one or a few short beeps in a certain time interval.
False alarm signal
- If you get a false alarm, first check if the sensor is not dirty. Smoke detectors work with an optical principle, so dust particles that block the sensor can also trigger an alarm. You can avoid this by regularly going over the detector with a vacuum cleaner. Insects can also cause a false alarm in a similar way.
- In addition, you should keep the location of the detector in mind. If, for example, the detector is located near water vapor, strong drafts or a combustion device such as a stove, the risk of false alarms is increased because the small particles can activate the sensor.
Technical signal
- Does the detector give off a technical signal? First of all, check if the battery is still in good condition. Usually you can solve that problem by simply replacing the battery. Be sure to check the polarity. Make sure as well that the detector is firmly attached to its bottom plate. This causes smoke detectors with built-in battery to activate said battery.
Does nothing work? In that case it could be that the smoke detector is faulty, the worst case scenario. Please check your terms of guarantee and contact the store where you purchased the device.
A smoke detector that gives off a signal always does so for a good reason. Keep the following things in mind:
- First of all, make a distinction between a continuous alarm signal and a technical signal that consists of a few short beeps.
- Secondly, if the device gives off a false alarm, make sure that no dust or insects block the sensor and go over it with the vacuum cleaner.
- And finally: check if it's not a technical signal which means the battery needs to be replaced.