Smoke alerts are vitally important in keeping you and your family safe in case of family fire. But they don’t always sound once an actual fire threatens to break out from your property. Though fake alarms occur frequently, that does not mean that you should dismiss the sound if you don’t smell or see smoke. Smoke detectors can feel hidden fires, such as electrical ones before you can. When an alarm sounds, assume there is a fire and follow proper safety precautions. To help you better understand how smoke alarms work, here are the top causes of smoke detector false alerts.
10 motives for smoke detector false alerts
1. Burnt Food on Stovetop
If you do not oversee the stove when cooking, your dinner may create smoke, which activates the smoke alarm. In some cases, smoke isn’t even mandatory — a sign of burnt food can be enough to set off the sensor. Additionally, ensure your smoke alarm is optimally placed, such as in the hallway resulting in the kitchen, not at the kitchen itself.
2. Burnt Toast or Popcorn
Leaving bread from the toaster or popcorn in the microwave for a little too long can happen to the best of us. That sends heavy particles to the air, which your smoke alarm selections up. To prevent this situation in the long run, maintain your smoke detector at a safe distance from these types of devices.
3. Fireplaces
Fireplaces can also cause smoke detector false alerts. Your fireplace can occasionally send smoke into your house, which sets off the alarm. This isn’t the alarm’s fault, though. Your chimney might not be clean, and the dampers may not be correctly set. Hire a chimney sweep in case your fireplace sends smoke to your home.
4. High Humidity
Smoke alarms do not always distinguish between smoke contaminants and moisture content. Therefore, the density of the moisture particles can trigger your alarm, even if they are water particles. In case you’ve got high humidity in your house, use windows or fans to exude the warmth.
5. Steam
Dense water vapor is similar to humidity when it comes to triggering false alarms. If you take a shower or warm water on the stove, smoke sensors can sense the steam and sound the alert. Make sure you ventilate your toilet and kitchen properly to prevent this.
6. Insects
Little bugs love dark crevices in your house, so that they may creep into smoke sensors, triggering a false alarm. If you don’t understand what caused an alarm, open the unit and check for smaller insects. Use pest control sprays around your smoke alarms if bugs were the offender.
7. Chemical Smells
Painting or using harsh chemicals can also cause smoke detector false alarms. Smoke detectors pick up on those chemical odors fast. Ventilate places where you paint or use chemicals to avoid the startling noise of your smoke alarm.
8. Dust and Dirt
Dust that arrives from activities like remodeling can set off your smoke alarms. To clean your smoke alarm, start it up carefully, and look inside for dust or dirt. Use a vacuum cleaner attachment or electronic aerosol cleaner to remove dust particles.
9. Low Batteries
When smoke alarm batteries are running or are not properly attached, they typically make small chirping noises. While that is not the noise of smoke detection, it’s a warning sign that you ought to check on your device. Replace batteries twice a year — when daylight saving time begins and finishes.
10. Old Smoke Alarm
Smoke alarms generally have a lifetime of about ten decades. When they reach the end of their life span, smoke alarms can give off false alerts. If your sensor is older than 10 years, replace it with a new one immediately.
For fire damage recovery, contact your Regional PuroClean office!
Remember, smoke alarms are intended to be sensitive. If a detector sounds a false alarm, it doesn’t mean it is broken. Their objective is to assist you to grab a fire before it becomes life-threatening. Install your smoke alarms not too close, but not too far away, from possible fire hazards.
In the unfortunate situation where the smoke detector did not give off an alarm, the smoke likely caused significant soot damage to the house. That fire and smoke damage will have to be handled by professional disaster restoration technicians. This is where PuroClean comes from. Find out more about our fire damage cleaning solutions. For fire and water damage restoration or smoke cleanup, contact PuroClean today.
