Augusta Fire Rescue

A nuisance alarm is when a smoke alarm accidentally activates, generally due to cooking activities or steam from the shower. Unfortunately, people often respond to nuisance alarms by removing the battery from the alarm or shutting off the circuit breaker. This is a very bad idea. Not only is it against the law, it may leave your home and your family at serious risk if a fire occurs. Fortunately, there are some very effective ways to address the problem of nuisance alarms. Follow the suggestions below until you find the ones that work for you.

The most common cause of nuisance alarms is cooking. Therefore, the first step is to minimize the problem at the source by keeping ovens and burners clean, and by turning down the timer setting on toasters. Using the fan on the range hood when cooking can also help to remove combustion particles from the air. If this fails to produce the desired results, there are other solutions to consider.

Install smoke alarms with a pause feature. For anyone experiencing nuisance alarms, a smoke alarm with a “pause” or “hush” feature is a must. These alarms have a button which, when pressed, silences the unit for several minutes. The alarm will then re-set itself automatically. It is highly recommended that any new smoke alarms purchased include this feature.

Move the alarm Sometimes the solution to frequent nuisance alarms is as simple as moving the alarm to a different location. If at all possible, avoid having a smoke alarm in the cooking area. Moving an alarm from the kitchen to the hallway could solve your problem. Another option is to move the alarm from the ceiling to the wall. The alarm should be installed no less than 10 cm and no more than 30 cm from the ceiling and should be located away from corners.

Note: It is generally recommended that any alarms installed near the kitchen, bathroom or woodstoves be of the photoelectric-type as the Ionization-type alarms normally cause more false alarms when located in these locations