Got a random question to see if you guys know the answer. In our house, we have the standard array of smoke detectors except for the one in the main hallway (outside the bathroom) and the one at the bottom of the stairs in the basement; these two are also CO2 detectors. Well, the other night, they started chirping and will not shut up. Both of them do it simultaneously also, which is weird. *When one starts, the other starts. *I've tried swapping new batteries in and everything, but these two won't stop. Yes, the CO2 light is flashing when they start chirping. I tried moving one of them to a different room but that didn't help either. *We've opened windows, ran the fans, etc, but no difference? *Only thing that will shut them up is unplugging them and taking the battery out.*

Any ideas??

 

How long have you had them? They are not meant to last forever. As far as chirping together, the are meant to. That way the whole house is warned. Other than batteries, not sure what would cause it unless they really are going bad.

Also make sure you blow them out with an air can. Dust will also cause a problem.

 

They're not even two years old. How are they designed to go off together? They are not wired together in any manner; they are independent.

 

So here's a weird update. Plugged them back in yesterday...started chirping. Unplugged them. Plugged the one downstairs back in and it's been plugged in all. iChat and hasn't made a sound. Maybe they work together afterall. But for the life of me, I cannot see how they're wired together anyhow.

 

What kind of wire/plug are you plugging them into? Do they have 110 power?

Sounds like 1 might be bad, try plugging the other one in and see what happens.

 

If they are plugged into regular power, more than likely the detectors are specially wired together. In most places that is code, just to make sure the alarms go off all over the house to ensure all areas are alerted. It is possible you have had one go bad, but I would try clearing out any dust and dirt and try it again.

http://www.diyadvice.com/diy/electri...moke-detector/

http://electrical.about.com/od/diypr...detelecbat.htm

EDIT - As an additional thought, is the detector that goes off anywhere near an attached garage? If so, you may have a leak between the garage and house, which is not good, and should not be.

 

Thanks for the tips guys. Garage not a factor.

 

I'm certain they're interconnected and that one has gone bad. Dust or spiders can be a problem in smoke detectors, I don't know if this applies to CO detectors, but blowing them out may fix the problem. Otherwise, I'd simply replace both of them. They're not THAT expensive.

- Jack

 

Did you ever think they may be working correctly? Why ignore them? Either call your gas company or call 911 and explain what is happening. They will send a Fire unit to do co level checks. No charge. If its a false reading they will have suggestions. If it isn't false they were working. Some things that could cause false readings are, fondues, cars in attached garages, charging batteries in the house, candles, fireplaces backing up, air tight houses with a bathroom or kitchen fan on, drawing air in from the chimney where a furnace or water tank are venting. You bought these things for a reason , don't ignore them. It is not like smoke that you can see. C O is the silent killer...

 

Thad, while I agree it would not hurt to have the CO checked, after posting what I did earlier, I thought some more about it and realized if it was a true detection of CO, it would be howling, not chirping. Chirping is for maintenance problems like low batteries etc. Far more likely it is a dirt or some other problem with the detector.

 

Just be aware of anyone experiencing headaches etc. The other thing with c o detectors is once they go off they should be replaced. They don't clear the way smoke detectors do. They act like a sponge. you may clear them enough by placing them outside overnight but you won't completely clear them so they will go off more frequently than they should until replaced.

 

Never heard of a CO2 detector for residential use. Do you mean carbon monoxide?

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