Step 1.
Check for Fire

If there’s a fire present, evacuate the residence immediately and call 000 from safety.
If there is no fire, proceed to Step 2.

Step 2.
Find initiating smoke alarm with flashing RED light

Identify the initiating smoke alarm by locating the unit with the flashing RED light.
For interconnected smoke alarms, finding the initiating unit is the key to silencing all other smoke alarms in the property.

Step 3.
Press HUSH button on initiating alarm to silence ALL smoke alarms

Press and hold the HUSH button for 3 seconds on the initiating smoke alarm with the flashing RED light.
Pressing HUSH on the initiating alarm will silence all other interconnected units, so you can then find what caused the alarm.

Next steps

Hush mode will silence the smoke alarms for a period of 9 minutes. If the alarm’s sensor is still detecting particles after the Hush period ends, the alarms will initiate again. You can keep using the Hush function until contaminants have cleared the air.
Dense smoke will always override Hush mode, so you can still be alerted to an emergency, even during Hush mode.

Need more help?
For more information about your specific alarm, refer to your user manual.
Our Technical Support Team is available to assist you between 8:00am – 5:00pm (AEST) Monday to Friday.
Send us an email or call 1300 772 776.

It’s a sound many homeowners have heard – a smoke alarm chirping in the middle of the night.
Why does it happen? Well, it’s a simple matter of the battery’s charge level combined with the air temperature in the home.

When a smoke alarm’s battery nears the end of its life, the amount of power it produces causes an internal resistance. A drop in room temperature increases this resistance, which can impact the battery’s ability to deliver the necessary power to the smoke alarm.

This battery characteristic can cause a smoke alarm to enter the ‘low battery chirp mode’ when air temperatures drop. Most homes are at their coolest between the hours of 2:00am-6:00am. That’s why the alarm may sound a ‘low-battery chirp’ in the middle of the night, and then stop when the home warms up a few degrees.

‘Low battery chirp’ is a short high pitched warning sounds emitted by your smoke alarm every 30-40 seconds. Pressing the ‘Hush’ button will force the alarm into ‘low battery hush’ mode, temporarily silencing the low battery warning for 8 hours, to give you time to replace the 9V battery.

How can I reduce the chance of this happening?

• For alarms with 9V batteries, replace the batteries with new 9V alkaline batteries from a reputable battery brand. 9V batteries should be replaced every 12 months regardless, and ensure that batteries are inserted the correct way with firm contact on the battery terminals.
• Check the age of your smoke alarms by looking at the date of manufacture sticker on the back of each alarm. Regardless of make or model, all smoke alarms (battery or hardwired) have a service life of 10 years and will then need to be replaced. If your smoke alarms are nearing 10 years or older, or you can’t find their manufacture date, you should replace them.

Need more help?
For more information about your specific alarm, refer to your user manual.
Our Technical Support Team is available to assist you between 8:00am – 5:00pm (AEST) Monday to Friday.
Send us an email or call 1300 772 776.

Insects & Dust

Insects and dust are common cause of false alarms.  Make sure the smoke alarm is regularly maintained.  Regularly clean and vacuum to remove any loose dust and foreign particles within the smoke alarm. Insects may be inside or around the alarm. If so, fumigate the base plate area and thoroughly clean the alarm giving it a wipe and vacuum. Wipe the smoke alarm with insect repellent wipes, do not use insect spray.

Tip – Regularly clean & vacuum your smoke alarm to remove any dust that may be inside the unit. Fumigate the base plate area using insect repellent wipes to deter insects (do not spray directly at alarm)

High Humidity & Dew Point

False alarms can occur if water vapor molecules develop inside the sensor chamber due to direct environmental conditions. The moisture generated from high humidity and dew point can cause smoke alarms to react the same way as it does to smoke. Once humidity reaches 85% or dew point occurs, false alarms could frequently happen and weak batteries can also increase the chance of false alarms.

More information on dew point can be found here.

Tip – In high humidity, use a hair dryer to blow warm air through the smoke alarm to assist with drying out any moisture build up.

Cooking Fumes

Cooking fumes can cause the smoke alarm to activate especially when the smoke alarm is located too close to the kitchen.  It is recommended to locate smoke alarms at least 5m away from the kitchen always utilise your range hood / extraction fan when cooking. Compared to Ionisation alarms, Photoelectric smoke alarms are less prone to initiating caused by cooking fumes, however it is widely recommended to install a smoke alarm well away from Kitchen areas.

Tip – Always utilise your range hood / extraction fan when cooking. Smoke alarms should be installed at least 5 meters away from the kitchen area. If your smoke alarm is activated by cooking fumes, simply press the Hush button to temporarily silence your alarms (for a period of 8 minutes) until the fumes have cleared.

Steam

Steam from bathrooms and laundry can cause false alarm. Smoke alarms located inside or in front of bathrooms, showers and laundry can activate when steam enters the smoke alarm.

Tip – Always utilise your bathroom extraction fan while showering to help clear and reduce the amount of steam. Smoke alarms should not be installed within or directly outside bathrooms and laundries.

High Volume Air Movement

High air movement can cause the smoke alarm to false alarm as dust and other foreign particles are blown directly towards the smoke alarm, triggering the sensor chamber to react the same way as it does to smoke. If a smoke alarm is installed too close to an air movement source, it will need to be re-located.

Tip – Ensure smoke alarms are not installed too close to split-systems, ceiling fans or air vents.

Electrical Issues

Electrical issues can cause smoke alarms to activate.  Unstable power or power interruptions can cause electrical spikes in the circuit, this may cause the smoke alarm to beep or alarm for a short period of time. Smoke alarms are commonly installed on a lighting circuit shared with other electrical products. These products can create electrical noise or interference which can activate the smoke alarm. This electrical noise and electro-magnetic interference may cause the smoke alarm to beep or alarm when the electrical products are activated. Products such as sweeping fans, lighting dimmers, poor quality LED lights, and heat lamps are examples.

Tip – Installing an EMI filter will help to filter out electrical interference. We recommend that smoke alarms be installed on their own sub-circuit to avoid false alarm caused by electrical interferences from other electrical equipment.

Need more help?
Our Technical Support Team is available to assist you between 8:00am – 5:00pm (AEST) Monday to Friday.
Send us an email or call 1300 772 776.

Every Month

Test your smoke alarm using the test/hush button and check the batteries with mains power switched off. Clean the alarm by removing dust and insects.

Every 3 Months

Every Year

Smoke alarms operating on 9v batteries or with 9v battery backups, should have their batteries replaced every year. Always replace with new 9v batteries from a reputable battery brand to ensure that the unit can function correctly. Only working smoke alarms save lives.

Tip – Set an annual reminder in your phone’s calendar to replace your smoke alarm batteries or use a common date that’s is easy to remember (eg. birthdays, end or start of daylight savings)

Every 10 Years

All smoke alarms have a 10 year service life. After that period, the entire smoke alarm unit must be replaced with a new one.

All of our smoke alarms have a date of manufacture printed on them so you’ll know when they should be replaced. New model smoke alarms with a long lasting lithium battery have a 10 year lifespan to ensure you and your family have the highest level of protection.

Need more help?
For more information about your specific alarm, refer to your user manual.
Our Technical Support Team is available to assist you between 8:00am – 5:00pm (AEST) Monday to Friday.
Send us an email or call 1300 772 776.

• To replace battery, remove alarm from mounting base (referrer to ‘How do I remove a smoke alarm from its base? question) and remove the battery from compartment. Replace the old 9v battery with a new 9v battery from a reputable battery brand.
• The smoke alarm has a low battery hush feature. When the smoke alarm emits a low battery chirp, pressing the Hush button will silence or snooze the low battery chirp for 8 hours.
• The battery can only be inserted in one direction, please ensure the polarity is correct.
• Test the alarm by pressing the Test Button for a few seconds. This should sound the alarm. The smoke alarm can now be reinstalled back onto the mounting base.

More information

• Mains powered smoke alarms that are equipped with a 9v battery backup will automatically provide back-up power to the alarm if mains power fails. In the case of mains power failing, a 9v backup battery will operate the alarm for approximately one to three months.
• The smoke alarm has a low battery indicator that will cause the unit to chirp at approximately 40 second intervals for a minimum of 30 days. Low, flat or missing battery with mains power connected will cause the unit to chirp at approximately 40 second intervals.

Need more help?
For more information about your specific alarm, refer to your user manual.
Our Technical Support Team is available to assist you between 8:00am – 5:00pm (AEST) Monday to Friday.
Send us an email or call 1300 772 776.

Regardless of the make or model, all smoke alarms need to be replaced at least every 10 years. Most smoke alarms have a use-by date or manufacture date printed on them so you’ll know when they should be replaced. New smoke alarms with a long lasting lithium battery have a 10 year lifespan to ensure you and your family have the highest level of protection.

• Both hard-wired and battery operated smoke alarms are manufactured to have a recommended service life of at least 10 years under normal conditions of use (Australian Standards – AS 3786).
• After 10 years smoke alarms may malfunction and their efficiency compromised with accumulated dust, insects, airborne contaminants and corrosion of electrical circuitry.
• A smoke alarm constantly monitors the air 24 hours a day. At the end of 10 years, it has gone through millions of monitoring cycles. After this much use, components may become less reliable. This means that as the smoke alarm gets older, the potential of failing to detect a fire increases.

Need more help?
Our Technical Support Team is available to assist you between 8:00am – 5:00pm (AEST) Monday to Friday.
Send us an email or call 1300 772 776.

Using the test button on your smoke alarm will ensure an accurate and complete test of your alarm(s) so you can feel confident that they are working properly.

• To test a smoke alarm, simple press and hold the Test/Hush button on the unit for 3 seconds. This will check the smoke alarm’s electronics and sounder. If the smoke alarm is operating correctly, you will hear the alarm sound for a brief moment. If you can’t physically reach your smoke alarms, an easy solution is to use something like a broom handle instead.
• When testing interconnected smoke alarms, make sure to verify all the smoke alarms in the network go off.
• Aerosol products, such as our Smoke Alarm Tester LIFLT711, can also be used to effectively test the integrity of smoke alarms by simulating smoke conditions. If using an aerosol smoke alarm testing product, from a distance of 1-2 metres, spray the can towards the smoke alarm for 2 seconds. The alarm should activate within 10 secs if operating properly. Smoke alarms with built in time delay circuits may require an additional spray to trigger the alarm. Excessive spraying at close range may permanently affect the smoke alarm’s sensitivity.

Need more help?
Our Technical Support Team is available to assist you between 8:00am – 5:00pm (AEST) Monday to Friday.
Send us an email or call 1300 772 776.