CO alarm went off then stopped

[Guest Guest TP]

Hi.

i was woken up at 5am by my Smoke/CO alarm beeping 3 times then completely stopping. It is a Kidde model and didn’t say either “fire” or “CO detected”, it was literally just 3 beeps.

I have since tested the alarm using the test button and it works fine. It has made no noise since. Should I be worried?

Thanks

[Guest Kidde Technical Support]

Thank you for posting this question on the Safelincs Forum. It is important to use the alarm in accordance with the user manual supplied with the alarm unit to ensure correct operation as per its design. Optical smoke detectors are particle detectors and it is possible that the sound you heard was a ‘transient event’ caused by particles or insect activity (such as very small flies or spiders). Carbon monoxide gas would cause the alarm unit to emit four beeps – see user manual for details.

The test button is a full function test of the alarm so as you have pressed it and the alarm responds correctly this would mean that the unit is capable of detecting smoke or carbon monoxide gas provided it is used as per the user manual. It is important to maintain the alarm and follow the information on the user manual: ‘General Maintenance To keep your Smoke/CO Alarm in good working order, please follow these simple steps: 1. Verify unit alarm, lights and battery operation by pushing the test/reset button once a week. 2. Clean your alarm monthly using compressed air or a vacuum cleaner hose and vacuuming or blowing air through the openings around the perimeter of the alarm. If cleaning does not restore your alarm to normal operation the alarm should be replaced.’

The 10SCO has a ten year warranty and Kidde do treat warranties very seriously. You can contact Safelincs or Kidde for assistance.

 

Kidde Technical Support

[Tom Sutton 0]

Thank you kidde support team for such authoritive support.

[Guest Guest TP]

Thanks both 🙂

[Guest Georgia]

Hi

I was woken up at about 4am to my carbon monoxide alarm going off then it stopped then went off but then stopped completely. It’s now 5:30am and nothing has happened. Is everything ok or?

[Safelincs 0]

Hi Georgia, make sure there were no fuel burning appliances on in your house or in the neighbouring property (carbon monoxide can leak through cracks and shared chimneys). If these were not the cause of the CO alarm, then this first cold night might have triggered a low battery alarm.

Harry

[Guest Kerrie]

my neighbour is burning something that sets my smoke alarm off...there is no smoke but a chemical smell coming from their house.

Can anyone tell me what types of chemicals would set my alarm off?

[Tom Sutton 0]

If it is a an ionisation type, they are operated by the products of combustion so a clean flame will activate it. I once was using a blowlamp in the kitchen, no smoke, and that activated the ionisation detect in the hall. I was using petroleum based instant adhesive in the kitchen which activated the ionisation detector in the hall and when I closed the door/opened the windows it stopped, so I suppose there could be others.

[Guest Tim]

My smoke/carbon monoxide detector went off at 1am telling me there was a fire, then carbon monoxide. I’ve had a bunch of windows open in the house all night without a problem. It’s the first time this had happened, should I be concerned?

[green-foam 0]

As you had your windows open anything could have blown in (Carbon monoxide is colourless and odourless) and as it did not continue I would say it was a pocket of gas and nothing to worry about.

[Guest JRg]

Our fire alarm went off for a few seconds at 5AM it then said Carbon Monoxide for a few seconds then stopped going off at all.

I went to check if anything was on and found nothing other than maybe the end of a furnace cycle.

I open d windows in each bedroom after checking all in our household.

any idea why our alarm went off both fire and CO for only a few seconds and then stopped?

What additional steps are recommended?

Thank you

[Harry 0]

Hi

Please check replace-by date on the CO alarm to make sure it is not just getting faulty. With both fire alarm and CO alarm in the unit going off, it is unlikely to be a CO leak.

However, should the alarm still be in date and the batteries in working condition then you might have to look further into your fuel burning appliances. 

Harry

[Guest Heather]

For the past two evenings my Carbon Monoxide detector almost insanity as soon as I I light my gas fire. I turn the gas fire off and ventilate the alam returns to operating as it should.  I then relight the fire and the alarm does not sound. 
 

any thoughts -

[green-foam 0]

I would get another carbon monoxide alarm and place it in the same room as the other one, then light your fire, if they both activate you have a fire with a problem, which would need a gas engineer to look at.

In the meantime if your carbon monoxide alarm activates, turn the fire off and open all the windows

[Guest Ashley]

So I for got that my smoke/carbon alarm battery’s was dying and I took it out months ago. I finally remembered to put a new one back in. 24 hours went by and everything is fine. Well today it goes off for no reason. Then again within the hour. So I took it off the wall and cleaned it and put it back. The date on the back says 2014. But everything seems to be working ok. Is there cause for alarm. 

[green-foam 0]

 

I assume that since you posted no more beeps?  this being the case, I would not worry. That said I would suggest you check with the manufacturer regarding the life expectancy of your device, most carbon monoxide devices have a working life of 7 -10 years, it may be time to change yours.

[Guest MBB]

It’s 3 in the morning and our alarms just went off.. maybe for a minute and then stopped. Has not come on again? Is everything ok? 

[green-foam 0]

I am presuming that it has not gone off again? if this is the case, and the batteries are under a year old, and your device is  not at the end of its life, then yes, nothing to worry about.

[Guest Caedus]

I was woken up at 5am this morning by my CO2 detector going off above our boiler (mounted on the wall above the door to the cupboard housing the boiler) with four short beeps and the red CO2 detection light flashing. At first I thought this was due to the batteries needing to be replaced so I swapped them out for new ones, but I also opened a window to ventilate the area just in case. I tested the alarm and all seems to be working OK. The alarm has not sounded since. Everything I've seen and read has suggested that potentially dangerous levels of CO2 were detected, but if that's the case then I'm not sure why changing the battery stopped the alarm from sounding. I also brought in another detector from the kitchen and that didn't go off. My partner is convinced it was just the battery, but I'm not so sure. Is she right and I'm just being paranoid, or does it seem like something was detected? 

[Guest Linda]

My alarm went off with a solid beep. I pushed the buttons and went off. Then it happened again. I checked my gas range and it is off. Opened my window and it haven’t gone off again. 

[green-foam 0]

15 hours ago, Guest Caedus said:

I was woken up at 5am this morning by my CO2 detector going off above our boiler (mounted on the wall above the door to the cupboard housing the boiler) with four short beeps and the red CO2 detection light flashing. At first I thought this was due to the batteries needing to be replaced so I swapped them out for new ones, but I also opened a window to ventilate the area just in case. I tested the alarm and all seems to be working OK. The alarm has not sounded since. Everything I've seen and read has suggested that potentially dangerous levels of CO2 were detected, but if that's the case then I'm not sure why changing the battery stopped the alarm from sounding. I also brought in another detector from the kitchen and that didn't go off. My partner is convinced it was just the battery, but I'm not so sure. Is she right and I'm just being paranoid, or does it seem like something was detected? 

First things first.

CO2 is carbon di-oxide it is what makes fizzy drinks fizz

CO is carbon mon-oxide and it is a clear odor less gas that in a large volume can be lethal 

You do not say how old your Carbon Monoxide alarm is, most only have a life of seven years, check the date on yours, if it is close then change the detector.

As you had two carbon monoxide detectors in the same vicinity and neither have activated there is nothing to worry about, but do check the age of the detectors.

 

[green-foam 0]

10 hours ago, Guest Linda said:

My alarm went off with a solid beep. I pushed the buttons and went off. Then it happened again. I checked my gas range and it is off. Opened my window and it haven’t gone off again. 

If your detector is within its date, and it has not activated since, and its test button still operates the detector, I would say what ever caused it to activate has gone.