# Help 4 AM alarm



## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Fire alarm went off. I have 4. Of course no spare batteries. Huge sheet of installation instructions. 

First it said fire. Half hr later. CO warning. Now it just says low battery. 

Its hardwired. Is there anyway to shut it up until motning?

I took all batteries could find out of remotes. Evidently they were old.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

It was time to get up, but consider trading it for a rooster. At least you can wring his neck and shut him up.:vs_laugh:


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Oh my gosh. I’ve never been up this early. It began at 3:30 am. It’s now 5:30 an I just got to Walmart. Its my fault. New alarms were put in 5 yrs ago so I should have expected this. 

Theres one inside bedrooms and another outside bedrooms in the halls.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

If it is hardwired, taking the batteries out only exacerbated the problem. The batteries are for back up, and the units sense they need them. Good that you went to get batteries rather than turning them off. Welcome to morning !!


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Sheesh, 2 1/2 hours but think its fixed. Seems the green light must blink if batteries are low. I couldn’t tell which one it was, couldn’t see with step stool had to go in garage an get big ladder. Then I’d taken batteries out of flashlight an couldnt see. Theres little red levers inside that had to be pushed down. Not sure their purpose.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

The little levers are there so it knows if you don't have a battery in there. Likely causes more blinking.


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## fireguy (May 3, 2007)

Kidde smoke alarms? You might try vacuuming the dust, or using a can of pressurized air. Or just give up and replace the bad ones.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Why didn’t it first begin by saying “low battery” instead of saying “fire”? It wasn’t until I replaced the original 5 yo batteries with some used batteries that it started saying “low batteries”.

From now on I’ll replace batteries every couple of years just so theh don’t wake me up again.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

On the local news they recommend changing smoke detector batteries twice a year, I always thought that was overkill and change mine out every fall.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

I didn't even ask for these. I had permitted work done 5 yrs ago and the electrician had to install the hard wired smoke/CO detectors to meet code.

Yes Kidde.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Startingover;5709695 Then I’d taken batteries out of flashlight an couldnt see.[/QUOTE said:


> You've been good and deserve to have one of these dropped down the chimney in just a few days. It will even meet dress code to wear to Walmart for batteries.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Senior, a headlamp! Yes and I needed Earmuffs. I have those little spongy things you mash then put in your ears. They don’t work well. 
Ha. I just pulled sweats over my pajamas to go to WM. Would I be arrested if I’d gone in my bathrobe?

Batteries Definitely worth replacing every year. 

Also looked at my fire extinguishers. They are getting low. Do you throw them out or are they refillable somewhere ? Nevermind. I just read older posts on this subject.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Startingover said:


> Senior, a headlamp! Yes and I needed Earmuffs. I have those little spongy things you mash then put in your ears. They don’t work well.
> Ha. I just pulled sweats over my pajamas to go to WM. Would I be arrested if I’d gone in my bathrobe?
> 
> Batteries Definitely worth replacing every year.
> ...


 In general, the low cost extinguishers aren't refillable. With a non emergency call to your fire department they are often willing to advise on what we have as fill-able or non-fillable.


Bathrobe to wally world at 5 am? Probably ok if you didn't loiter at the entrance. That may have made you look homeless or someone would have said there are applications inside.


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

They often have a "hush" button. Might be same as "test" button on some models. They will quiet a nuisance alarm for about 10 minutes. Hit the button, then you at least have time to take it down, unplug the connector (if its hardwired) and pull the battery.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Yes, i have Hush buttons.

I liked the simpler models that merely chirped.....not waken you from a deep sleep like the gates of h*ll had opened


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

> I just pulled sweats over my pajamas to go to WM. Would I be arrested if I’d gone in my bathrobe?



Locally we folks all the time at Walmart in their pajamas, mostly women but some men also. Occasionally me and my wife will joke when we put on our pjs and say we're ready to go to WM.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Startingover said:


> Yes, i have Hush buttons.
> 
> I liked the simpler models that merely chirped.....not waken you from a deep sleep like the gates of h*ll had opened


 May I re-word your first sentence. I didn't make an A in Journalism but I think you'll like my wording more better.:biggrin2:


"_ Yes, my smoke/fire alarms have push buttons ".:vs_laugh:
_


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Lol, my ex would have loved it if i had a Hush, (or mute) button.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

This nightmare isnt over.

Just replaced batteries in SD's with NEW batteries and took out the 'used' batteries I scrounged up last night.

One SD in hall keeps beeping an saying "fire".

I just looked at my electric panel and I don't have a seperate breaker for the SD.

I'm pretty frustrated. Right now need to solve this problem. Then soon want to removed the hardwired SD outsude both bedrooms and just put battery ones up. I suppose there are wires that can be capped off. I really don't want to have to pay an electrician for this.

Im going to Hush it again an take new batteries out then reinsert them an hope by magic that helps. Otherwise spending night at relatives house.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

Replace it. Check the battery first. I had a client who had a "handyman" change his batteries and 3 of the 5 batteries were forced in backwards. Will never know how he did that.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Hold the test button down for 15 seconds. if the unit is 10 years old it should be replaced.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

I just read how to twist it to remove. If I can get it down........is it just plugged in?

Can I unplug it and throw it away tonight. Ok, took out an reinserted batteries.

Pushed test button. Heard one chirp. Green light on. Didn't even get out of the hall an it started beeping an saying "fire, carbon monoxide". It must be bad.


Ok, unscrewed it. Its a weird plug. How do I remove it?


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

The plastic sides of plug were really hard and My fingers werent string eniugh. Got some pliers an removed both by guest room. I'll have to put them back up only to cover big holes in ceiling. 

Tomorrow I''ll buy plain battery ones.

Thanks for all your help.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

I dont have gas. Hardly anyone down here does. 

And the guest bedroom is opposite side of house from garage so i think plain battery SD will be fine. If it ever causes me trouble in middle of night by chirping it will be simple to remove an toss in a closet or neighbors yard 

Neal, thanks. I was only giving the button a brief tap. Maybe that was part of my problem. 

Kidde’s instruction sheet is not user frienfly to average people.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

Don't use "battery only" units. They are not code compliant in newer installations. They must be interconnected with 14-3 cable so if one goes off, they all go off. If yours are wired correctly and only one is going off, it is a bad unit. A new one is in order.


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## Yodaman (Mar 9, 2015)

I agree, the whole interconnected circuit in a small house is a PITA. One goes, they all go. I can hear any detector form anywhere in the house. But being code compliant I have 4 on the first floor all within a 20 feet of each other. Three on the second, within 10 feet, plus 2 in the basement. The alarms going off in the middle of the night is not how you want to wake up! And then try to find which one is the culprit, what a joke.
I finally disconnected the com wires. (shhhhhhhhhh, don't tell anyone). At least now if one goes off, I will know which part of the house is on fire.

And of course I will reconnect them if I ever sell the house.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)




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## user_12345a (Nov 23, 2014)

Yodaman said:


> I agree, the whole interconnected circuit in a small house is a PITA. One goes, they all go. I can hear any detector form anywhere in the house. But being code compliant I have 4 on the first floor all within a 20 feet of each other. Three on the second, within 10 feet, plus 2 in the basement. The alarms going off in the middle of the night is not how you want to wake up! And then try to find which one is the culprit, what a joke.
> I finally disconnected the com wires. (shhhhhhhhhh, don't tell anyone). At least now if one goes off, I will know which part of the house is on fire.
> 
> And of course I will reconnect them if I ever sell the house.


Interconnect is a must have feature, since in many homes an alarm in a basement won't be loud enough to wake people on the second floor.

Decent models will indicate which one is triggering via flashing led indicator light and some have memory so you can track it down.

But requiring an alarm interconnected in each bedroom is overkill.


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## digitalplumber (Jul 8, 2011)

Our new home, 20 years ago, we had the smoke detectors randomly going off. Builder switched them out and all was well.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Are you near the ocean or tule fog? We were woken up by the ocean fog setting off the smoke alarm. Night.


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