It's not bugs, dust or humidity.

We have all been there; it's the middle of the night, everyone is asleep and out of nowhere, BEEP BEEP BEEP. The smoke alarms start sounding. Everyone jumps out of bed, the kids are crying, it's panic stations. But wait, there is no smoke, there is no fire. What is going on?

Contrary to popular belief and what other installers might tell you, it's probably NOT bugs, dust or humidity that is causing this horrible problem.

Transient Voltages

If your smoke alarms are hard-wired, then they are directly susceptible to any sort of power quality issue from the grid supply. This can be an undervoltage or an overvoltage condition. In Australia, our normal power supply is usually between 230V - 240V however, this is aloud to fluctuate from 216V - 258V. Many poor-quality smoke alarms simply can not withstand this volatility and can quickly become damaged. When transient voltages occur, the alarms may trigger and start sounding.

Off-peak Ripple Injection

EMI

Radio Frequency Interference

Capacitive Coupling

Incorrect Pairing

No Network

Mix and Match

Dual Interconnections

Solar Inverters

Solar inverters used for rooftop solar PV systems can inject harmonics into the power grid. This effect can be compounded through many inverters all switching on at the same time; as is in the morning during sunrise. These harmonics can adversely effect hardwired smoke alarms and cause them to start sounding.

So whilst dust, insects and humidity can absolutely cause your smoke alarms to start sounding, be mindful that there are other factors. The design of the smoke alarm and how it has been installed is critical in how it performs over its lifespan. Don't be fooled by cheap smoke alarms installed by someone who has no idea what they are doing.

Do the job right the first time with River City Smoke Alarms.

Do your smoke alarms randomly sound?

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