I am starting to just hate these new smoke alarms
By Marie Coyle
@MarieCoyle (41641)
March 6, 2025 8:06pm CST
This winter, our complex installed new smoke alarms in all the homes. Now they are hardwired as well as having a battery backup, and they are a combination smoke alarm/carbon monoxide detector as well. Sounds good, right? Up-to-date, and efficient, right?
Wrong.
Most of my neighbors, as well as myself, have discovered these things are so sensitive, it's not funny. My house isn't smoky. I don't have a problem with burning foods, etc. But twice in the last 2 months the stupid things have gone off for no reason, at about 3AM. No smoke. No fire. No bad air. Nothing--just noise. Ugh. The first time, I had to call maintenance's emergency number, and our maintenance guy came and said I wasn't the first one who had this problem. The second time, I just went to the garage and flipped the breaker off for the alarms, and called him the next day. Again, no issues.
I keep them dust free and clean. They claimed that would help, but I always did that anyway.
They had a team from the fire department come and inspect them to be sure they are properly installed, etc. It was determined they are ''overly sensitive''---gee, ya think so? They have had so many calls over these new alarms that the owners are going to have new ones installed again. No recall on the ones we have now, but the alarms are making everyone crazy. I guess I am lucky, mine have only gone off twice--others have had way more of an issue than I have.
Maybe it would be better if they just went back to having them separate--the smoke detectors from the carbon monoxide alarms? Who knows?
Curious to know if anyone else has had problems if they have these devilish alarms?
Are yours separate, or all in one like these are?
Pic from IMG FLIP
17 people like this
16 responses
@snowy22315 (186360)
• United States
7 Mar
I hesitate to jinx myself and say they are all fine, but they are.
Good luck with the new ones. I just knocked on wood.
Good luck with the new ones. I just knocked on wood.2 people like this
@FourWalls (72165)
• United States
7 Mar
All of my smoke detectors are battery operated, and they’re being checked out to “celebrate” DST.
2 people like this
@MarieCoyle (41641)
•
7 Mar
For some reason the ones with the combo of the carbon monoxide alarm are the 'in' thing to do, and to hardwire them as well to assure they will go off if the battery croaks--but who in their right mind would put up with that chirp, chirp...I wouldn't be able to stand it.
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (143013)
• United States
7 Mar
When our house was inspected for Section 8, one of the things the inspector wanted was a smoke alarm/carbon monoxide detector installed. It wasn't hardwired in but does include a 10 year battery. So far, no problems... But I just can't wait for it to start going off in the middle of the night. At least I'm normally awake then and it's installed in the little hallway between our bedrooms and the bathroom.
When/If it goes off, it will probably scare the crap out of us.
We don't smoke, don't have friends that smoke and haven't burned any food in years... Now, since I've written that here, we'll start having problems with it all the time. 
I hope your new install is better than the one you already have.
I hope your new install is better than the one you already have.1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (143013)
• United States
7 Mar
@MarieCoyle The installation guys went to Walmart and bought the one here.
Thanks, I hope they don't have a reason to ever go off here.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (41641)
•
7 Mar
They seem to think that a new brand will solve the insanity. I guess time will tell. I hope it doesn't go off in the night, or when you are sleeping. I know they save lives, but they can be a total pain in the butt.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (41641)
•
7 Mar
@DaddyEvil
Ours went off with no reason at all. I hope the new ones are better!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (122982)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Mar
My smoke detectors are hard-wired with battery backup as well. A few years ago, the one in my bedroom malfunctioned and kept chirping in the middle of the night (and only at night…it would never do it in the middle of the day). I finally ripped it out of the wall and went and bought a cheap battery powered one.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (122982)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 Mar
@MarieCoyle I think you're right. It's the same little devils in a factory somewhere that also program our vehicles to break down one day after our warranties expire!
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (41641)
•
9 Mar
I firmly believe that someone is sitting in some factory somewhere, programming those little devils to go off in the middle of the night. Yep. So, so irritating!
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (41641)
•
9 Mar
@moffittjc
Oh, that's a certainty! They also work in factories that produce expensive household appliances--that break down as soon as the warranties expire. So much for anything like that lasting for years...just think about it, how long our grandparents had a refrigerator--for many, many years. That doesn't happen now!
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (184190)
• United States
7 Mar
Our smoke alarms are hard wired through the alarm company. I have a plug-in carbon monoxide unit. I hope they replace yours soon. Have a good day.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (41641)
•
7 Mar
They are supposed to come on Monday. At least mine do still work--too well! haha
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (184190)
• United States
11 Mar
@MarieCoyle I hope you got your new alarms installed.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (41641)
•
17h
@LindaOHio
They did them yesterday, I am glad, too. Thank you, Linda.
1 person likes this
@porwest (96956)
• United States
7 Mar
The problem, and this should be pointed out to the person who needs to hear it, is that ultimately if these things don't work properly and go off without cause, eventually people will disengage them defeating the entire purpose. It's probably something they haven't considered.
1 person likes this
@porwest (96956)
• United States
8 Mar
@MarieCoyle At least they are doing something about it.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (41641)
•
8 Mar
@porwest
My area has a very active code enforcement. When something isn't right and laws are not being followed, they are swift to act. I am thankful for that.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (41641)
•
7 Mar
Yes, the owner did say that they will all be replaced again next week. He doesn't want people to disengage them in any way and not have working alarms. Besides, it's a law. He has to.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (96426)
• United States
7 Mar
We don’t have any carbon monoxide detectors here, so smoke alarms just represent themselves. They used to be hardwired, but once it wouldn’t quit going off so I cut the wires. We didn’t have an emergency maintenance line back then, and the noise was causing my dog to bark nonstop. I figured if they weren’t going to help me I’d help myself. Thankfully, they just installed a new one and didn’t try to charge me for that one.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (96426)
• United States
7 Mar
@MarieCoyle Now, that’s interesting. I’m going to follow up on that.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (41641)
•
7 Mar
Did you know that most/if not all/of these alarms are only good for a certain number of years? I know when they put in the new ones, the installer said that the old ones were out of date and thus not even compliant. That made the owners nervous, I think, so they hurried to replace them with these...duds.
At least you weren't afraid to just murder it and not put up with the racket. I would have done the same thing.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (41641)
•
7 Mar
@AmbiePam
It is a law here, landlords MUST provide smoke/carbon monoxide detectors. Are yours the same, like 2-in-one? Mine are. If not, your landlord is not in compliance. I looked it up, your state is the same as mine. It's a law and they can face a HUGE fine, a fine for every apartment, if they do not have them installed.
1 person likes this
@much2say (57332)
• Los Angeles, California
8 Mar
Uh oh. Hubby just installed those combination ones at my mom's 
. Thus far she has not had that kind of problem. We did have a problem with one of the smoke detectors here though . . . I don't know if it was too sensitive, but it would go off all the time in the living room if I used the oven. We changed it out and that didn't happen again. Oh but if it went off at 3am, that would drive me batty!
. Thus far she has not had that kind of problem. We did have a problem with one of the smoke detectors here though . . . I don't know if it was too sensitive, but it would go off all the time in the living room if I used the oven. We changed it out and that didn't happen again. Oh but if it went off at 3am, that would drive me batty!1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (41641)
•
8 Mar
It seems that none of those things ever decided to beep, chirp, or blast for no reason, unless it's the middle of the night! Hopefully, I am on the back end of this problem.
@Orson_Kart (7071)
• United Kingdom
7 Mar
It’s very annoying when an alarm goes off for no apparent reason, especially in the middle of the night. I’ve had a faulty detector that did just that. It wasn’t out of date, but randomly went off without a cause, so I changed it. New one is fine.
I’ve got a mixture of types. One smoke/heat alarm, a couple of CO only, and one combination. None have ever gone off for a genuine reason (thankfully), so I really don’t know if they work. All are powered by batteries which last ten years.
1 person likes this
@Orson_Kart (7071)
• United Kingdom
8 Mar
@MarieCoyle I’m sure they are recommended to be tested weekly, but it’s not something I remember to do. Maybe monthly if I remember. I should put a note in my calendar to do this.
I don’t know how high the ceilings are in your mansion, but maybe a broom handle might work?
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (41641)
•
8 Mar
The maintenance guy tests our alarms quarterly to be sure they work. I am glad he does, because I can't stand on the ladder high enough to reach the alarms.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (41641)
•
8 Mar
@Orson_Kart
Mansion, haha. I live in a small-ish townhouse.
Yes, I have done that in the past. But now the reset buttons on the alarms are set differently and are more recessed, and the broom handle doesn't work to give them a punch to turn off!
@Tampa_girl7 (52067)
• United States
7 Mar
We have been fortunate and not had any problems. We don’t have any modern ones though.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (112761)
• Marion, Ohio
7 Mar
@MarieCoyle I know the dogs will go off if we have a fire
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (41641)
•
7 Mar
Oh...I would definitely want to always have them. I know they save lives.
1 person likes this
@JESSY3236 (20304)
• United States
11 Mar
When I was in my trailer, I had just hardwired ones. One day when my uncle's friends came over to blow some leaves in the backyard, the alarm went off. I told my uncle that they were too close to the trailer and it made it go off. He claimed that either me getting out of the shower, or doing the microwave made it go off. Then a few months later goes off in the middle of the night. I was sleeping this time. I called my mother at 12am. She said she would get it down and get a new one the next day. I had no problems after that. Then last year after I moved in my uncle's house I heard a beeping. I thought it was the smoke alarms. It was leak detector alarm instead. But I did replace the smoke alarms anyway. The ones I have are battery powered which is good.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (41641)
•
17h
I think there are some that are just way too sensitive. And of course, rarely do they ever do anything weird unless it's time to go to sleep!
@Deepizzaguy (107477)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
7 Mar
My home does have a smoke alarm inside but thank goodness it is not overly sensitive to the point where it beeps around 3am.
1 person likes this
@Deepizzaguy (107477)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
7 Mar
@MarieCoyle I will do that as soon as I can. Thank you for your advice,
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (41641)
•
7 Mar
Be sure to check the date on it sometime to make sure it's not outdated. Our original ones were.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (41641)
•
7 Mar
It is a law here. If you are a renter, landlords must provide the alarms and make sure they are in working order.
1 person likes this
@grenery8 (14712)
• Zagreb, Croatia (Hrvatska)
9 Mar
@MarieCoyle o, then i understand.
1 person likes this
@kaylachan (75874)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
7 Mar
Ours are seperate. but we had a leak in our ac (was fixed) but before it was sound, then it would set them off randomly at odd hours.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (41641)
•
7 Mar
I think an evil imp lives inside of them, and only sets them off in the middle of the night.
@MarieCoyle (41641)
•
7 Mar
Extremely irritating, for sure. I look forward to getting new ones next week.
1 person likes this
