Why does my smoke detector keep going off for no reason?

Answer by  embockjr (709)

First make sure you are not juat getting a low battery signal. Now if the batteries are OK, and you are sure you have no smoke in the environment (kitchen - food burning), the electronics are likely defective. In that case, the recommended option is to replace the unit.

Answer by  Emr (698)

Some smoke detectors are more touchy than others. Some go off if you take a hot shower and the room gets a little steamy. Cooking can also cause it. The detector is reacting to particles in the air, even harmless ones. Waving a towel in front of it will shut it up. Do change the batteries twice a year!

Answer by  dragndust (52)

A detector that chirps or beeps intermittently has a low battery that needs to be replaced. This can happen even if the detector is wired and the battery is for back-up only. On the other hand, if it goes off and doesn't stop, the detector itself is most likely defective and needs to be replaced.

Answer by  radiantrachel (39)

Most likely is keeps going off due to the batteries starting to die, try replacing them and see if there is a change. If it still goes off, it might be due to light smoke from cooking or a candle burning. Or just to be safe replace it with a new smoke detector.