Home > Smoke Alarms Information > Smoke Alarms Questions > What causes smoke alarms to sound without reason (meaning no smoke/fire)?

What causes smoke alarms to sound without reason (meaning no smoke/fire)?

UPDATE: Thank you everyone. I went to a 24 hour store and bought 9-volt batteries and changed them/cleaned the 'eye' at the same time. It still sounded. BUT I figured out the culprit. It was one of those air fresheners with that one plugs into a circuit in the wall and adds a scented oil to. It was plugged into the wall about 8 feet from the alarm. Not sure if it was getting too hot (did not feel hot) and causes gases from the oil to emit or if the oil in the scented fragrances just emits these gases as part of it's fragrancing function. Whatever the case, I removed it of course and problem solved. Go figure...

Public Comments

  1. the steam from a shower will do it...or boiling water on the stove.
  2. Dirt and or dust covering the "eye" that measures for smoke.
  3. If yours is battery powered, your batteries may be going bad.
  4. They can also be affected by general heat/steam from cooking. But if its nowhere near the kitchen get rid of it because it is obviously a dud alarm. Replace it straight away
  5. the battery needs to be replaced
  6. smoke alarms, in addition to having an alarm for diminishing power supply ( battery is dying ) also sense other gasses related to fires, especially those in the light aromatic hydrocarbon series, in addition to carbon monoxide and other gasses associated with fires
  7. change the batteries, I change mine every time the time changes ( daylite savings time) 2 times a year.
  8. All the answers listed above are good answers and to add to them there is one other possibility. Most smoke detectors are only good for 5 years. After that the "eye" that detects smoke and what not starts to activate more frequently on non smoke pollutants. Consider changing out the unit with a new one.
  9. Make sure it is only a smoke / fire alarm and not a carbon monoxide detector also If your for sure it isn't sending the alarm for a reason then replace the battery if it is battery powered some times they chip to tell you the battery needs replaced. If you have another alarm put them in the same area and see if they both go off or just the one you may want to replace it, If it continues have your home checked maybe there is a hidden problem you can't find.