Question:
We just bought a house and the smoke detector keeps beeping about once a minute. It can't be that the battery is low because it's connected to the wires of the house, not a battery. It has a test button, which sounds the alarm when pressed, just as you would expect. Any ideas how to make it stop beeping?

Answer: The smoke detector is hardwired through a harness in the ceiling. If you twist the detector, you'll be able to remove it from the ceiling and disconnect the power.

Have you made sure your house isn't on fire?

Smoke detectors have about a 10 year life, at which point they start acting all crazy. Your particular behaviour is one option, another is to start blaring at 3 AM. That is how mine failed. Never in the middle of the day, always at night. I think it is a design feature.

These used to be hard to find, but last time I found them at the Home Depot. I was able to get the Form/Fit/Functional replacement to mine for about $15 each. Replace them all at the same time - these are smoke detectors, not light bulbs. Remember that they are supposed to protect your family and that they are giving you the signal that they aren't working anymore.

BTW, the news hooked right up, no electrical or plate changes requried - try and buy the same brand.