How to Hush a Smoke Alarm

Only silence smoke alarms if you know that the source of the smoke is non-threatening.

Smoke alarms are often triggered by non-threatening situations, including smoke produced by cooking. There are few things more irritating than a blaring smoke alarm. Luckily, smoke alarms are designed with this in mind and can usually be easily hushed.

Things You'll Need

• Towel

Instructions

1. Check your smoke alarm for a "hush" or "silence" button. The hush button will only silence the alarm for approximately 10 minutes before the alarm starts up again, unless the source of smoke is removed in that time period.

2. Wave a towel near the alarm to silence an alarm that doesn't have a silencing button. This will cease the alarm only temporarily.

3. Open doors and windows to ventilate the room with the smoke alarm. Fresh air will filter out the smoke that's causing your alarm to go off.

4. Call your local fire department for instructions on what to do if your smoke alarm continues to go off even after the room has been ventilated.

Tips & Warnings

• If your smoke alarm is frequently triggered by non-threatening situations, such as cooking and burning candles, relocate your alarm farther away from the kitchen or your typical candle-burning area.

• Always check your home thoroughly before hushing a smoke alarm, even if you know the source of the smoke causing the alarm. If you are unsure why the alarm is going off even after a thorough check of your home, call your local fire department for instructions on what to do.

• Some smoke alarms are programmed to "chirp" once every 15 minutes or so when they are on low battery. Never take out the battery without immediately replacing it. A smoke alarm without battery power will do you absolutely no good in detecting a fire.

References

• Owen Sound Fire and Emergency Services: Smoke Detectors
• Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council: Smoke Alarm Fact Sheet
• "Home Fire Safety: Preventive Measures and Issues"; Cornelio Moretti; 2010.