Carbon Monoxide Detector Beeping – What is carbon monoxide? This is an odorless, colorless gas that has the potential to accumulate inside a space i.e., an office or home if there isn’t ventilation. Since the gas has no smell and it’s colorless, you can suffer permanent damage. If the gas accumulates in your system, it can lead to death. All these damages transpire before the onset of symptoms. Carbon monoxide is a deadly gas.
When a carbon monoxide detect unit is functioning correctly, it should have the capacity to alert for the presence of this gas in time. This way, you can take a life-saving action i.e., fleeing to the next door or opening to breathe in clean air. Well, what if your detector beeps for no reason? It’s scary, right?
It is critical to take an alarm with maximum caution. It would help if you took the warning seriously even though there are circumstances that the detector will chirp or beep for no good reason. The following text entails the most common reasons why a detector chirps or beeps and what step you should take when it happens. Click here for the Best-Selling Fire Safety Products.
What causes a detector to chirp or beep?
When a detector makes an alarm i.e., at regular intervals, the most common reason for the beep is a battery problem. Also, the beep can be due to failure or an internal fault.
The following are the leading causes as to why a carbon monoxide detector can beep.
Internal faults
When the detector suffers from an internal fault, it usually chirps or beeps at regular intervals. Most smart carbon detectors have this feature where they beep, providing information about the error.
Battery problems
If the condition of the battery deteriorates and lowers below a certain level, most of the detectors beep or chirp every 30 seconds. If you own a plug-in sensor and it beeps in that duration, the battery may have been installed incorrectly, or it may not be very accurate.
End of service
Not necessarily can a carbon monoxide detector beep because of battery or system faults, it can chirp to indicate the end of life. Just like all other appliances, these units have a set lifespan. If a detector’s life ends, it will chirp and beep at regular intervals to notify you that its time you made a replacement.
The frequency of beeping will depend on the model of the detector. However, the beep is usually more often compared to a carbon monoxide detector whose battery is weak.
False alarms
A detector can be missing all the above-listed problems and go off even when there is no presence of carbon monoxide. In such a case, you need to troubleshoot the unit before you reset it. You should be warned that a detector that chirps or beeps at regular intervals can’t be fully trusted to notify you of the presence of the deadly gas.
What are the sources of this deadly gas?
This gas is typically produced by fuel-burning devices used at home. They include:
• Gas clothes dryers
• Stoves
• Furnaces
• Fireplaces
Under normal instances, these devices produce very little carbon monoxide. However, this can change if there is a malfunction. An outdoor grill is a good example or even a propane indoor heater.
Generators should be operated away from the living area. The machine produces carbon monoxide when operating. It’s not safe to run a generator inside a garage.
Is it okay to reset a detector unit?
Units are destined to be reset, especially after a warning may it be false or real. It’s very secure to reset a detector unit as long as the unit’s lifespan has not yet ended. But, before resetting, you should ensure that there is no carbon monoxide in the room.
How do you fix a beeping or chirping detector?
After determining that there isn’t a buildup of carbon monoxide, you need to evaluate why the detector made the alarm. Here are the steps you should take to fix a beeping detector.
confirm the battery is okay
Battery problems are the most common problems that cause the unit to beep. A battery problem makes the unit to beep at regular intervals of 30 seconds to one minute. Some units are manufactured with in-built sealed batteries that are designed to serve the unit until it’s no longer operational.
If you own such a unit, the only solution is to replace the detector all together when it dies. Other units have replaceable ones. They include hard-wired and plug-in units.
Check for errors
If a detector malfunctions, most of the units display an error message or indication. This way, it’s effortless to solve the problem. Some detectors are installed with LED lights that blink if an error has occurred.
Confirm the age of the detector
Carbon monoxide units are built with a shelf life. Their internal sensors slowly degrade over time. After months of service, the sensors no longer function as required. This renders the detector useless.
The best way to know that a unit is no longer operational is when it keeps on chirping regularly, even with a new battery. Some units are designed to serve up to 10 years.
Eliminate all sources of false alarm
If the unit’s battery is okay and it doesn’t indicate an error message and is still new, then it might be a false alarm. At times mounting the detector near a burning furnace can contribute to this. Mount detectors away from appliances that produce carbon monoxide.
How to reset a detector
Before resetting a unit, ensure it’s connected to a power source. Normally, the reset procedure is automatic, so the primary aim is to silence the unit while it resets itself. Here is how to reset a unit.
• Locate the reset button
• If your unit isn’t installed with a reset button, check if it’s labeled something else i.e., silence or test. If there isn’t, refer to the user manual.
• Push the reset button and hold for 10 seconds.
• Release the reset button
• If the unit has reset, it will chirp, beep or briefly illuminate a light to indicate its working
Carbon monoxide units are built to alert when there is a presence of carbon monoxide. They are very useful appliances. However, ensure that you comprehend the various beeps the unit makes so that you know the right action to take.