Why does my battery-operated smoke alarm beep

[PADemD]

When I flip the switch for the ceiling light?

Anyone?

Thanks for your help!

[elleng]

1. Don't know relation between flipping the switch and beeping,

but I thought there was an animal of some kind beeping in my apartment when DUers told me smoke alarm battery had to be replaced. Friend reached up, removed battery, beeping stopped, replaced battery, and no beeps.

[orleans]

4. same type of thing happened to us years ago

when the idea of having a smoke detector was fairly new

my mom didn't want one, didn't like the way it looked--i don't know!--anyway, my dad put it away in a dresser drawer under his t-shirts. and left it there.

after he died we left his things in place, including his dresser and clothes. about a year later i noticed a chirp every once in awhile when i passed by his room. my mom and i thought a bird was in the attic, just outside his window, in his room somewhere.

it took about six months or so (from what i remember) until i was able to figure out where the sound was coming from. and much to our surprise it was the hidden away smoke detector with the low battery chirp/beep going off!

mystery solved.

[marzipanni]

6. Same thing happened to me at my mom's cousin's house

She commented that a cricket seemed to be inhabiting the bedroom that they had turned into an office after her husband retired.
I was curious, so sat there for a little while and tracked it down to an extra smoke alarm that had been given to them which was still in its box on a shelf, and with a weak battery.

[ConcernedCanuk]

2. CFLs can do that.

.
.
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The link below is to a .pdf file that explains it.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=nema%20lsd%203-1998&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB4QFjAA&url=http%3A//www.neptunlight.com/blobs/8/8463dd3faa55ab9323cb7d400d252560/IR-and-CFLs.pdf&ei=y4_BTtjNFMHksQK5s-y_BA&usg=AFQjCNHFq_GmCcdP2mDgyUDBoKMUcaaUHA&cad=rja

If your light is not a CFL then I've no idea.

Question though -

does the alarm just give a chirp - or is it a continuous beeping?

Anyways - might want to relocate the alarm so it's not directly in line with, or so close to the light fixture.

CC

[defacto7]

3. Smoke alarms do get old.

If not 10 years old and it has a good battery, I've had spiders build webs in the sensor and dust can also make it go off. Blow it out with compressed air and it helps many times. If the light is making it go off, you probably need to move it's location. Fluorescent lights have had effects on sensors. They give off a buzz that at the right frequency and condition will react to the sensor.

If you move it and clean it and it doesn't help, you probably need a new one or it's defective.

[Bombero1956]

5. any smoke detector 10 year old or older has to be replaced.

Use a can of compressed air to clean it or a vacuum hose. Also if its near a bathroom it will go off because of the steam. This is only true if its an ionization type detector. Does your detector have a light sensor for testing with a flashlight? that could be the cause of the chirp when you turn your lights on.

[PADemD]

7. Thanks for your response.

Actually, the smoke detector is 20 years old. It woke me up at 5 a.m. this morning with one short blast. Need to get my son to change the batteries.

[Bombero1956]

9. once a smoke detector reaches the 10 year threshold

it is no longer effective. There are a few on the market that have 10 year batteries that don't require changing.

[PADemD]

10. Update

Batteries replaced. No more alarm when light switch flipped.

[Wolf Frankula]

8. Replace the Battery

Tho' it may be the smoke alarm that needs replacing.

Wolf