Ei141 still beeps after battery replacement

[green-foam]

Low battery is usually indicated by a "chirp" once every 60 seconds, if it were low battery I would not have expected it to stop.

I have to ask, when was the last time you cleaned the smoke detector? and out of curiosity what brand of battery have you been using?, and how old is the detector?

[Guest Frustrated]

Hi all

yes - we thought we had the same problem and replaced all the batteries - still chirping -  3 replaced and reset - still chirping - after 2 days , finally realised it was the carbon monoxide unit behind the curtain. After reading previous posts, I now realise the human ear cannot detect where certain high pitched sounds are coming from !!

Hay Ho -  the batteries WERE out of date so hard wired system Ok. The carbon monoxide unit is outside chirping by our resident garden mole !!

[Guest Pammie]

I have removed and disconnected the wiring from 2 E!141 from my hallway and landing but I can still hear chirping despite the circuit for the smoke alarms being switched off. It's really annoying because I can't see another smoke detector anywhere. I even checked the attic but I can't hear the chirping up there. It seems to still come from the locations where the smoke detectors were. Just wondering if the wiring is set up in such a way that it chirps if one removes the alarms from the circuit>

 

[Harry]

Hi Pammie, the most likely culprit is a CO alarm with a low battery sitting on a shelve or in a drawer. Neither the cabling nor the base of an EI141 will be able to beep.

Harry

[Guest Harry M]

Hi Harry,

I have a couple of these alarms installed in my property, which are also linked to heat sensors.

The smoke alarm in our utility room went off - potentially due to steam from the tumble-drier (although this has never happened before). We turned the alarm off, however every 5-10 minutes the alarms would go off again, and not low battery beep, i mean properly going off.

Eventually I removed the cover along with the battery from the culprit so that we could at least sleep.

Why would the alarm still be going off? There was no steam near the sensor for about 45 mins and it still went off every 5-10 minutes...

When i removed the cover, it gave me the "replace battery" beep ( i think ) and then died a death (sounded like a robot losing power).

thanks!!

 

 

[Tom Sutton]

What may have happened the steam condensed on the electronics of the smoke alarm causing short circuits, which is likely to cause problems until it is fully dried out.

The noise that sounded like a robot losing power, is likely to be capacitors drain down, it also happens when you remove the battery and press the hush/test button. 

[Guest Mark]

Hi. I have a ei141 which when I press the test button makes a very quiet bleeping noise. Not the normal loud bleep you normally get on test. Unit is just over 10 years old. Any idea what is causing this. I have replaced the battery as a precaution. Power to unit looks ok.

Thanks

[Safelincs]

Hi Mark, if the alarm is over 10 years old, it sadly needs replacing. You can fit a genuine EI replacement alarm without an electrician, though.

Harry

[Guest Mark]

Thanks Harry I thought as much..

[Guest simon heather]

the red light in our Ei 141 flashes every 10 seconds after the battery is replaced.

[Tom Sutton]

Have you checked your user manual, it appears the red light flashing every 10 secs indicates reduced sensitivity and should clear after about 10 mins, if it doesn't try pressing the silence button, then wait ten mins. 

Silence Feature

All the Smoke Alarms have a combined Test/Silence Button to help you control nuisance/false alarms. 1. To silence a nuisance/false alarm, press the Test/ Silence Button located on the cover. The Alarm will automatically switch to a reduced sensitivity condition for a 10 minute period (very large levels of smoke from a nearby fire will override the silence period). The unit will flash the red light every 10 seconds (instead of the normal 40 seconds) to indicate the sensitivity is reduced. On interconnected Alarms, pressing the Test/Silence Button on the one sensing smoke (i.e. the one with the red light flashing every second) will silence all alarms. Pressing the Silence Button on any other Alarm will not silence the alarm. 2. The unit will reset to normal sensitivity at the end of the silenced period. 
Nuisance 

[Guest Bee]

Hi

We have 2 Ei 141 alarms installed in our house, one on the ceiling at the bottom of the stairs and one on the ceiling at the top of the stairs.

This evening, the alarm at the top of the stairs started beeping consistently, every 2 seconds, with the red light also flashing every 2 seconds. This stopped after we pressed the hush/test button. I have looked through the manual but there is absolutely nothing in there that relates to the unit beeping every 2 seconds? The green light was on whilst the beeping happened and nothing had changed within the house (not cooking/electric not turned off etc etc). Do you have any idea what this beeping means? 

[Tom Sutton]

The red LED flashing every 2 seconds could be described in the manual as flashing rapidly, which would mean a fire or false alarm. In that case you should, when the alarm operates and there is no sign of smoke, heat or noise to indicate that there is a fire, you should get your family into a safe place, before you start investigating. Check the house carefully in case there is a small fire smouldering somewhere.Check whether there is some source of smoke or fumes, for example cooking fumes being drawn past the Smoke Alarm by an extractor.

When sure that it is just a nuisance/false alarm, simply press the test/silence button briefly on the Alarm to silence the unit for 10 minutes, and then it will reset itself.

To prevent false alarms you should check for fumes, steam etc. from the kitchen or bathroom. Paint and other fumes can cause nuisance/false alarms.

Clean your Alarm regularly, particularly in dusty areas. Use the narrow nozzle attachment of your vacuum cleaner to remove dust, insects and cobwebs from the sides and cover slots where the smoke or heat enters. To clean the cover, wipe with a damp cloth. Dry cover thoroughly with a lint free cloth.

[Guest At the end of my tether]

Hi, similar issues here, I've got two Ei 141 units, and one started chirping. I replaced the battery with an Eveready, and tested the unit, works fine...however the beeping continued.

Next day I bought some Duracell batteries instead, and tried that. Same issue, chirping continues. There's no CO detector, the chirping is definitely coming from the head. 

Could it be related to the temperature in my flat? It is quite cold here, however last night I had the kitchen door closed all night, and the oven was on for quite a while, and the beeping stopped all night...this morning it is back.

 

Just to confirm, I have the standard green light on, and red light every ten seconds. I replaced the batteries in both heads, just in case. The date to replace the heads by is 2027.

[green-foam]

Humour me please.

Take the batteries out of both smoke detectors and turn the mains off. Wait for a few minutes, can you still hear the beep?

 

My reasoning is, I have lost count the number of times people have said it is the smoke detector beeping, and by doing the afore mentioned proves that it is not the obvious detectors, but one nearby that has been forgotten about.

[Guest Lesley]

My alarms are only a few years old replaced the battery and still bleeping. What can I do

[Tom Sutton]

Get in contact with the manufacturer if you think the alarm is faulty it should still be under warranty depending how long you have had it.

[Guest Glen]

Hi I’ve got an e141 unit in my kitchen hallway and front room and yet I’ve changed the battery in my kitchen and yet it keeps going off 

[green-foam]

I am not there, can you be more specific please.

What battery did you change, what "keeps going off" why did you decide to change the battery?

[Guest Kelly]

Hi my alarm is chirping and reading the comments I’m assuming I need to replace battery. However it’s 2am and I have no replacement battery! How do I get it to stop?? 

[green-foam]

Like you should have been, I was asleep at 02:00 so could not advise, I am assuming you have stopped it by now, all you can do to stop any smoke detector from chirping is change its battery.

I don't expect you to have spare batteries in your house, although to be honest it is a good idea (and I do have new batteries around the house) you can take the detector down and take its battery out, then put the detector on the kitchen table, the idea being that you then change the battery and put the detector back, often I have visited houses and I see a backplate on the ceiling and no smoke detector, what use is that if there should be a fire?

It is a good idea to change smoke alarm batteries once a year, and even better is to change all of them at the same time.

[Guest Guest Spud]

I have an Ei141 smoke alarm that started beeping every 50 seconds or so.

I was convinced the beep was coming from my downstairs smoke alarm. I switched off the relevant fuse in my fuse box, took the cover off the alarm (push in screwdriver and slide off, in case anyone is having problems), replaced the battery and was sure the base was beeping.

I was wrong.

It was actually coming from the upstairs alarm. It was only when I got frustrated and stood next to the upstairs alarm I could identify the true source of the sound.

I took that down, removed battery, discharged the alarm by holding the button down (a very sad strangled final beep was emitted), replaced the battery and put it back up, then switched the fuse back on. So far, so good. 

I hope that helps someone- check your other alarms!

Very helpful forum, by the way.

 

[Guest Lauren]

Hello, should the red light flash on my fire alarm? I have a Deta model 1151 ionisation type smoke alarm. 
the alarm randomly went off this morning for about 3 bleeps. I changed the battery and have put the alarm back on its bracket on the ceiling and there is a green light which stays on constantly and a red light that flashes every 10 seconds. Thank you. 

[Guest Frustrated]

So I have ei141rc throughout the house. One won’t stop beeping. Replaced battery, cleaned it, still no joy.

Took the head down in the hope of getting silence, now the base keeps beeping despite no head and no battery in the head. 
 

The device is only 4 yes old. Installed by electrician so no proof of purchase for the unit.

What can I do?

[green-foam]

If you are sure it is the base that is beeping (some do have a battery and electronics) then I suggest you take the base down. BUT are you sure it is the base as often it transpires there is another smoke alarm/co alarm hidden away, or sitting in a drawer nearby. 

Below is a copy of a post by "Spud"

I was convinced the beep was coming from my downstairs smoke alarm. I switched off the relevant fuse in my fuse box, took the cover off the alarm (push in screwdriver and slide off, in case anyone is having problems), replaced the battery and was sure the base was beeping.

I was wrong.

It was actually coming from the upstairs alarm. It was only when I got frustrated and stood next to the upstairs alarm I could identify the true source of the sound.

I took that down, removed battery, discharged the alarm by holding the button down (a very sad strangled final beep was emitted), replaced the battery and put it back up, then switched the fuse back on. So far, so good. 

I hope that helps someone- check your other alarms!