For: Consumer Reports Posted 28 Jan 2023, 17:01 pm EST
Plus, Consumer Reports’ top picks if you need a replacement
The way to disable a false alarm depends on the power supply of the fire alarm.
By Daniel Wrocławski
Always assume that a smoke alarm going off means there is a fire and you need to get to safety if necessary.
But what happens when it goes off and it’s a false alarm and then it doesn’t go off? In 2019, 31% of the false alarms fire departments responded to were caused by system failures, according to the National Fire Protection Association. These include malfunctioning smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, heat detectors, and other systems. “Those false alarms can be caused by dust, moisture, electrical faults, and even spiders getting inside smoke detectors,” says Bernie Deitrick, senior test engineer at CR.
To know how to quickly resolve a false alarm, you must first understand how the smoke alarms in your home work. There are three types of power sources for smoke detectors:
– Replaceable batteries
– Long life lithium batteries
– 120 volt wiring (with batteries as backup power sources)
Your focus will vary depending on the type of energy your smoke detector uses. The first step is to find the device that is shutting down and restart it by pressing and holding the reset button.
If that doesn’t work, turn off the smoke alarm. If you can, remove the batteries. If your smoke detector has a lithium battery that you can’t remove, wrap it in a blanket, under a sofa cushion, or in your freezer until it stops.
As for hardwired smoke alarms, “they’re interconnected via electrical wires, so if one smoke alarm goes off, they all go off and it can be hard to tell what’s going on,” Deitrick says. First, he tries pressing the reset button on each smoke alarm. If that doesn’t work, turning the switch off and back on might stop the noise. If all of that still doesn’t work, the ultimate solution may be to disconnect the smoke alarms and remove the backup batteries one by one. A small connector can be released on the back of each alarm so you can safely remove it from the mains.
If this happens it may be time to put new smoke alarms in your house. Here you’ll find some of the best picks from our tests, listed in alphabetical order. For more options, check out our smoke and carbon monoxide detector ratings and our smoke and carbon monoxide detector buying guide.
CR’s Tests Top Rated Smoke Alarms
Here are some high-performance standalone fire alarms and combination fire and carbon monoxide detectors from our lab tests.
First Alert 3120B
Kidde PI2010
Universal Security Instruments MIC3510SB
Universal Security Instruments AMICH3511SC
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Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with the advertisers on this site. Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works with consumers to create a fair, safe, and healthy world. CR does not endorse products or services and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2023, Consumer Reports, Inc.