Trouble Shooting Alarms

False alarms are usually a result of incorrect siting of the Smoke Alarm, by contamination as a result of building/redecoration

operation, or poor levels of maintenance. For instance, if Ionisation alarms are sited too close to a Kitchen, false alarm will often

result due to invisible cooking fumes reaching the alarm. Optical alarms are liable to contamination from dust and fibres,

often associatedwith building work being undertaken without the alarms being properly covered. The 140, 150 and 160 series

smoke alarms aresupplied with a ‘hush button’ that can be pressed to desensitise them to allow time for the source of the

problem to be investigated. Use of the ‘hush button’ will only silence the alarm for 8 - 10 minutes after which the alarm will

automatically reset. If the cause of the false alarm is contamination, the only method of permanently silencing the alarm is to

remove the contamination source. This may not be possible without removal and cleaning of the alarm itself. It can be difficult

to reach the hush button in some instances, particularly for the elderly and infirm, so the installation of a wall mounted

System Remote Control Switch Ei1529RC should be considered to overcome this problem.

If either, the voltage of the battery falls to a sufficiently low level, or the internal resistance of the battery reaches

a predetermined state, the alarm unit will emit a warning beep every 40 seconds.In the case of the 140 series

alarms, it is probable that the alkaline battery in the unit requires replacement. Access to the battery is

gained by removing the alarm from the Easi-fit mounting plate. The power cells on the 150 and 160 series alarms

are not replaceable. If these units emit a low battery warning beep it is probable that the mains supply has failed.

The cables, fuses etc should be investigated and the fault rectified. If the beeping continues the alarm may have

a fault and it should be returned for inspection.

Then its doing it's job! Do not disable your smoke alarm if it alarms due to cooking or other non-fire causes, because you may not remember to put the battery back in the alarm after cooking. Instead, clear the air by waving a towel near the alarm, leaving the batteries in place. If such 'nuisance' alarms from cooking fumes persist, you may consider re-locating the smoke alarm or you may consider fitting a smoke alarm with a 'silencer' feature - this feature allows you to temporarily silence the smoke alarm but it is not disabled and will re-alarm if the smoke situation persists.

The problem could be due to:

1. Battery depleted (2110 & 160 Series) - check mains and fuse.
2. Battery not connected correctly (140 Series).
3. Alarm not fully pushed home on base.
4. Check that all alarms interconnect - if they don't, suspect circuit damage.
5. There is another device in the property.

• The battery may be depleted on the Ei160 Series alarms – this is very rare, as the cells are fully

charged when they leave the factory, but if the alarm has been fitted to the mounting base for

some time prior to installation they can become depleted. If the mains supply is on the cells will

recharge very quickly – less than 2 hours

• On the Ei140 Series it could be that the battery ’snap’ on the PP3 battery is not fully pushed home

• In installations where the alarm has been fitted on an uneven ceiling the mounting plate can be

slightly distorted. This can mean that it is difficult to push the alarm fully onto the mounting plate

and beeping can result from poor connections. Check that the alarm ‘clicks’ into position on the

mounting plate

• There may be damage to the interconnection circuit due to a mis-wire. Check that all the alarms sound

when the Test & Hush button on one of them is pressed – hold the Test & Hush button for 5 seconds

or more to check this. If they don’t all sound there is a wiring problem

• There may be another device in the property causing the beeping. This is quite common. It can

be very difficult to determine exactly where the sound is coming from. If you put your ear against

each alarm in turn you will be able to determine for sure if the beep is coming from the alarms you

have installed. Look for an old battery alarm lying in a Kitchen drawer, for instance

The problem could be due to:

1. Loose connections.
2. Cold air entering back of alarm - cable entry holes too big.
3. Cables running too close to interface from old fluorescents, inductive loads, etc.
4. Electrical interference (EMI).
5. There is another device in the property that is the source of the beeping.

Loose connections on the terminals of the alarms, or from the mains supply.

Cold air entering the back of the alarm can cause condensation on the circuitry. This problem mainly

occurs on first floor alarms where cables enter the back of the alarm and, either the hole for the cable

is too large, and/or the roof insulation has not been refitted correctly.

Modern fluorescents rarely cause a problem, but very old switch-start units with a poor earth can.

There should be no problem installing an alarm system on a circuit with modern fluorescent lights

on them, but avoid running the alarm cables by the side of this circuit. The same applies to circuits

powering a central heating boiler, for instance.

Electrical interference e.g sharp fluctuations in voltage, can sometimes be a problem, particularly in

rural areas.

An old alarm lying in a Kitchen drawer or fitted somewhere in the property can also be a problem.

There have been instances where alarm clocks, microwave ovens and even tumble driers have been

the cause of problems that have been blamed on the smoke alarms