What to do if carbon monoxide detector goes off and then stops

One of two things that can cause your carbon monoxide detector to turn off and discontinue performing. It’s possible that the detector has reached the decline stage, or that the battery is low.

In either case, you must ensure that your home is free of harmful gases before turning it back on.

This will assist you in troubleshooting the issue and determining what needs to be done to resolve it. When a carbon monoxide detector goes off, no one likes it.

But most people just ignore it until the next time it goes off. Rather than risk switching it off and exposing your home to harmful gases.

What to do if carbon monoxide detector goes off and then stops

Carbon monoxide stopped going OFF after about 10 seconds, but you can still hear a high-pitched annoying beeping.
You’ll only do one thing before it turns off: replace the batteries.

That’s presumably why it’s suddenly turned OFF. No one has been cooking or anything else like that while you’ve been gone, so that’s probably not why it turned OFF.

This has happened a few times before, but never for an extended period of time, usually only a minute or two before stopping on its own.

We’ll look at what causes your CO detector to go OFF and offer some simple remedies to keep it from going off throughout this blog post.

  • Solutions for when your Carbon Monoxide Detector goes OFF
  • Causes of a going OFF Carbon Monoxide Detector
    • Causes related to an actual leak
      • Causes related to improper installation or maintenance
  • Conclusion

Solutions for when your Carbon Monoxide Detector goes OFF

  • Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odourless, colourless gas that is highly toxic.
  • It’s naturally produced when certain fuels such as natural gas, propane, or oil burn. This means it’s present in your home whenever you use fossil fuels for heat and cooking.
  • The best solution for protecting your family from high levels of CO is having a Carbon Monoxide Detector installed in your home and making sure it works properly.
  •  If you hear a beeping sound coming from your Carbon Monoxide Detector, unplug all of your appliances that could be causing carbon monoxide build-up. Then, call someone who can fix it immediately—don’t wait until later.
  • Even if there aren’t any immediate dangers in your home at first glance.
  • Turn on fans and open windows to help ventilate air before calling anyone about fixing the problem.

Causes of a going OFF Carbon Monoxide Detector

There can be many causes of a going off carbon monoxide detector, but they are primarily divided into four categories:

Causes related to improper installation or maintenance

Improperly calibrated detectors and improper use of detectors. While you should call a professional if your detector is going off. it’s important to understand why it’s happening so that you can remedy any issues before calling for help.

For example, if your home is experiencing flooding due to broken pipes in another room.

Even though your CO levels may be high. The cause isn’t likely something that needs immediate attention from a professional.

In fact, opening windows and doors can actually help alleviate problems caused by flooding (though you should still contact professionals).

However, if your carbon monoxide levels are abnormally high even after doing so. It may indicate an issue with your heating system that does need repair immediately.

Also go through:  Levoit Air Purifier Not Working Solved

Conclusion

The most likely cause of a carbon monoxide detector going OFF unexpectedly is dust.

If you have it in your home, open up some windows and turn on your exhaust fan for about 30 minutes, and it should go OFF.

However, if that doesn’t solve your problem immediately or you want to make sure it doesn’t happen again, call an HVAC technician as soon as possible.

One of the most frequently asked questions in Google about CO detectors is “Why is my carbon monoxide alarm going off?”

It seems lots of people are having issues with their carbon monoxide alarms and wondering whether the sound is indeed a warning or just a false alarm.

One person left this worrying comment on an online forum:

“On Christmas Eve my CO alarm went off, even though we did not have the heating on. Is there any way to test if the CO alarm is working correctly? In the end I had to take out the batteries to stop the noise. It did scare us, though!”

Forget the alarm noise scaring you, the part about taking the batteries out is what scares us! As soon as you take those batteries out, you are vulnerable.

The device is making a noise for a reason, so let’s take a look at some causes for the unwanted beeping so that you can get to the root of the problem.

[cta link=”/guardian-security/home-security/home-fire-alarms/” heading=”SMOKE ALARMS SAVE LIVES. ” button=”Learn More Here” img_on=”yes” img=”/guardian-security/wp-content/uploads/Home-Security-Featured.jpg”]
Carbon Monoxide is a silent killer. Don’t be a victim. Safeguard your home with a complete fire alarm system.[/cta]

Why Is My Carbon Monoxide Alarm Going Off?

Your carbon monoxide alarm is going off for one of the following reasons:

  • It is doing its job properly and detects CO pollution in the air
  • It is a false alarm caused by other household items
  • The detector is malfunctioning or the batteries need changing

Let’s look at each bullet point in more depth to help you resolve the unwanted beeping. After all, you don’t want your carbon monoxide alarm going off all day and night!

What to do if carbon monoxide detector goes off and then stops

It is doing its job properly

The first conclusion we’d all jump to when our carbon monoxide alarm is going off is that it can detect traces of CO in the atmosphere.

Whether it’s from your own house or a neighbours house, CO is getting into your home somehow.

In this circumstance, you should follow these steps immediately to reduce the risk of CO poisoning, which can be deadly if you are exposed for long periods!

  1. Turn off all appliances. Cookers, fireplaces, central heating etc
  2. Immediately get fresh air into the property by opening all doors and windows
  3. Call a qualified technician to find the route of the problem and address it before using that appliance again
  4. If anyone is experiencing carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms, such as dizziness, vomiting and headaches, call the fire department and immediately move to a location with fresh air
  5. Do not re-enter the property until it has been thoroughly aired out and the appliances have been checked and fixed by a professional

In most cases, your alarm will only be triggered if a fuel burning appliance has not been regularly serviced by a professional with a Gas Safe accreditation, and is running inefficiently. Otherwise, this leads us on to our next point…

Your carbon monoxide detector is giving out false alarms

In domestic properties, your CO alarm can be triggered by any fuel burning appliance such as gas cookers, boilers and ovens. All of these appliances give off small traces of CO, but the levels can rise slightly when adequate ventilation isn’t provided, or the venting is blocked or clogged by dust.

In addition to this, some cheap carbon monoxide detectors can be set off by Hydrogen gas and some even claim that large quantities of petrol fumes can trigger false alarms.

When you have bought a cheap, stand-alone CO detector online, you will be reliant on the user manual to decipher whether the alarm is false or not. You will have to read the instructions carefully to ensure that the alarm isn’t in fact a real one!

Otherwise you will jump to conclusions and assume it is a real alarm, follow the steps we listed above and cause a massive hassle over nothing!

By this point in the post, we are subtly hinting that stand alone CO alarms are a bit unreliable…

The batteries need changing or the device is faulty

Another perfectly good reason for the unwanted beeping is that the device is tying to communicate with you…

Please change my batteries, my life span is coming to an end! – beeping CO detector

We covered this in more detail in an earlier post “Why is my smoke detector beeping?”

The bottom line – You CANNOT rely on a cheap carbon monoxide alarm

The point of this post was to address your question “Why is my carbon monoxide alarm beeping” and help you find the root of the problem, but also to teach you about the dangers of these cheap devices.

Some people are willing to cut corners to save a few extra quid, like the Essex IT company, and in turn put themselves and their family/employees at risk.

Earlier we discussed the issues regarding false alarms. This is why we do not supply stand-alone devices that most homeowners or landlords purchase for a quick solution.

We only integrate a carbon monoxide alarm with an existing fire alarm system that has been fitted and maintained by one of our qualified engineers.

Because of our NSI GOLD accreditation (the highest level of accreditation in the security industry), we only supply and install products of the highest quality, while maintaining an affordable price.

Don’t let money come between you and your safety. We mentioned briefly before how carbon monoxide poisoning can kill. 

Carbon Monoxide Detectors By Guardian Security & Fire

Whether you just want the carbon monoxide detector added to an existing system or a full fire alarm system fitted by us, we can offer a package tailored to your needs.

Fill out the form below to ask a question or book a free security evaluation.

[survey-form heading=”Ask a question or book a free site survey”][/survey-form]

Why would my carbon monoxide alarm go off and then stop?

4 beeps and a pause: This means that there is carbon monoxide in the air and you should seek fresh air immediately and call 911. 1 beep every minute: This means that the alarm has low batteries and you should replace them. 3 beeps every minute: This means the alarm has encountered a malfunction and needs replacement.

Should I worry if my carbon monoxide alarm goes off?

If your carbon monoxide alarm sounds or you suspect a leak: Stop using all appliances, switch them off, and open doors and windows to ventilate the property. Evacuate the property immediately – stay calm and avoid raising your heart rate.

Can a carbon monoxide detector randomly go off?

There are plenty of reasons a carbon monoxide detector might give a false alarm, including its age, battery life, and location in your home. Here are some common causes of a false alarm from a carbon monoxide detector: Old age. Exposure to excess moisture.

How long will a carbon monoxide alarm go off for?

Carbon Monoxide Levels That Will Set Off Your Alarm.

What should I do if my carbon monoxide detector goes off?

What to do if your Carbon Monoxide Detector goes off.
Turn off appliances, or other sources of combustion at once..
Immediately get fresh air into the premises by opening doors and windows..
Call a qualified technician and have the problem fixed before restarting appliances..