How do I know how old my smoke detectors are?

Twist one off its base and look at the back. There's a date of manufacture. If it's more than 10 years ago, replace it. If there's no date, it's old enough to replace.

Can I mix brands of hardwired detectors?

Not on the same interconnect wire. Detectors from different brands don't talk to each other, so one sounding won't set off the others. Replace a set with matching detectors.

Why is my smoke detector chirping?

A single chirp every 30 to 60 seconds means a low battery, even on a hardwired detector, which has a backup battery inside. If it keeps chirping after a fresh battery, the detector has reached the end of its life and gets replaced.

Why is my smoke detector going off for no reason?

Often it's too close to the kitchen, where a smoke detector can go off when you sear something. A photoelectric or heat detector is the right choice within a few feet of the kitchen, and we match the type to the room.

Smoke and CO Detector Replacement in Phoenix

The chirp at 2 a.m. and the detector that's past its date. Replaced and tested.

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Arizona ROC #366903 · Licensed, Bonded & Insured

Smoke detectors are the one electrical item in the house that everybody ignores until it chirps. They have a replacement date, and many Valley homes are past it. We replace smoke and carbon monoxide detectors with the right type for each spot, every bedroom included, and wire them so they all sound together.

Why it chirps, and why it's not just the battery

A single chirp every 30 to 60 seconds means a low battery, even on hardwired detectors, which have a backup battery inside. Changing it fixes most chirps. If it keeps chirping after a fresh battery, the detector has reached the end of its life. Every smoke detector has a date of manufacture printed on the back, and they're built to be replaced 10 years after that date. Some models chirp on purpose when they expire.

Carbon monoxide detectors have a shorter life, usually five to seven years. A CO detector that chirps in a pattern or shows an error code is telling you it's done.

What goes where

Code calls for a smoke detector in every bedroom, in the hallway outside the bedrooms, and on every level of the house. CO detectors go outside the sleeping areas and on each level in any house with gas appliances, a fireplace, or an attached garage. Many Phoenix homes have a gas water heater or furnace, so that covers a lot of houses.

Kitchens are the exception. A smoke detector near the stove goes off when you sear something. A photoelectric detector, or a heat detector, is the right choice within a few feet of the kitchen.

Detectors come in two sensing types. Ionization reacts faster to flaming fires. Photoelectric reacts faster to smoldering, smoky fires, and false-alarms less from cooking. Dual-sensor detectors do both. For a whole-house replacement we match the type to the room.

Hardwired and interconnected

Homes built since the 1990s usually have detectors wired to the house power with a battery backup, and wired to each other so when one sounds, they all sound. When these get replaced, the new ones need to match the wiring plug and be interconnect-compatible, or the whole set gets replaced together. Mixing brands on an interconnect circuit is how you end up with detectors that don't talk.

Older homes with battery-only detectors can get wireless interconnected detectors, which link to each other by radio with no new wiring. That gives an older house the all-sound-together protection a new house has.

Problems we fix on this page

Smoke detectors past 10 years old
Hardwired smoke detector needs replacing
Want a CO detector
Want interconnected smoke alarms
Want a fire extinguisher mounted
Want smoke detectors in every bedroom

How it starts

Count your detectors and send a photo of one with the back showing the date, or just tell us the house's age. You'll have a fixed price before anyone shows up. We can install detectors you've already bought. Levi does the work himself.

Questions

How do I know how old my smoke detectors are?: Twist one off its base and look at the back. There's a date of manufacture. If it's more than 10 years ago, replace it. If there's no date, it's old enough to replace.
Can I mix brands of hardwired detectors?: Not on the same interconnect wire. Detectors from different brands don't talk to each other, so one sounding won't set off the others. Replace a set with matching detectors.
Why is my smoke detector chirping?: A single chirp every 30 to 60 seconds means a low battery, even on a hardwired detector, which has a backup battery inside. If it keeps chirping after a fresh battery, the detector has reached the end of its life and gets replaced.
Why is my smoke detector going off for no reason?: Often it's too close to the kitchen, where a smoke detector can go off when you sear something. A photoelectric or heat detector is the right choice within a few feet of the kitchen, and we match the type to the room.

Ready to get it fixed?

Tell us what needs doing. Quotes are free. We usually reply within minutes, and always within 24 hours.