Smoke alarm chirping? Here's what to do
A chirp every 30 to 60 seconds isn't smoke, it's the alarm asking for a battery or telling you it's done. Two minutes on a chair sorts most of them.
Every price on the website is a quote, not a fixed charge. It assumes a standard single-storey home with the switchboard within reach. When your request comes through, Luke looks it over and sends you a quote to confirm. Once the job is done, that quote becomes your invoice.
Before you book anyone
- 1Twist the alarm off its base. A 240 V alarm has a 9 V backup battery inside: change it, even if the light is on.
- 2Hold the test button for ten seconds after the new battery. That clears the chirp memory.
- 3Read the date on the back. Over ten years old: replace it, whatever it says.
- 4Sealed alarm with no battery door, still chirping: that's end of life. It needs replacing, not fixing.
- 5Chirp you can't find: check the garage, the hallway cupboard and any old alarm left on a shelf.
What it usually is
- The backup battery flat. The most common by far.
- An alarm past ten years. Sealed units chirp at end of life and never stop.
- Dust or insects in the sensing chamber. A vacuum over the vents sometimes helps.
- A loose connection to the base on a 240 V alarm, so it runs on battery and complains.
- After a power cut, a 240 V alarm chirps until the backup battery recovers.
- The wrong alarm for the spot, near a bathroom or kitchen, so it's forever reacting.
What we charge
Every visit has one $165 call-out, covering the trip and the first 30 minutes. It's already inside the first price you see. Anything else on the same visit shares the call-out, so extra jobs are usually cheaper. Appliances and fans are a flat price each. Whatever it turns out to be is quoted before we go further.Prices are quotes, confirmed by Luke by text. How pricing works ›
How it works
Three steps, no phone tag.Name, mobile, address, a photo if you have one. Luke texts you back, usually the same working day.
He looks over what you've sent, confirms the price and you pick the day. Nothing changes after that unless we tell you first.
Found, fixed, tested, and you've agreed the price before we do it.
Questions people text us
Answered the way Luke answers them.My alarm goes off when the heater is on. Faulty, or just batteries?
A combustion heater or a kitchen nearby will set off a tired or badly placed alarm. If it’s more than ten years old, replace it. If it’s newer, moving it usually fixes it.
Can you add a smoke alarm while you’re doing other work?
Yes. A like-for-like swap is quick, and a new alarm on new cable is quoted with the rest of the job. Both are in the quote builder.
Do I need hardwired alarms, and do they have to be interconnected?
In South Australia, homes built after 1 January 1995 need 240 V hardwired alarms. Homes sold after 1 February 1998 need hardwired or 10-year lithium alarms within six months of purchase. New builds and major alterations since 2014 need the alarms interconnected. Not sure what yours needs? Ask us and we check.
How long do they last?
Ten years. The date is printed on the back. After that the sensor is unreliable even if the test button beeps.
What time will you actually arrive? Can I get a tighter window than two hours?
Every booking has a two-hour arrival window, confirmed by text the day before. On the day we text when we’re on the way, so you’ll know within about 20 minutes. If you have a hard deadline, school pick-up or an appointment, tell us when you book and we put you first or last in the day.
Can you text or call me before you arrive?
Yes. Every job gets an on-our-way text as we leave the previous one. If you need more notice, say so in the booking notes and we call instead.
Do you charge a call-out fee and what does it cover?
A fault call-out covers the first 30 minutes on site and the diagnosis. If it’s fixable in that time there’s nothing more to pay. For installs and quoted jobs the call-out is already inside the first price you see, it’s never added on top.
What people say
Straight from Google. Nothing picked, nothing typed.“I was impressed with the service from Switch Electrical. The communication and workmanship was great. I will definitely be using them again and would recommend them to anyone. Thanks Luke and Michael!”
“I've used Switch Electrical a few times over the past 2 years, installing a new oven, more power points, 2 hard wired smoke detectors and 13 downlights. I found them to be reliable, polite and a very fair reasonable price.”
“Recent oven replacement by Luke. Nice and quick. Professional and courteous. Luke also did a quick fix on an LED light at no cost. Great work. Very happy customer.”
If it turns into a bigger job
Prices are quotes, confirmed by Luke by text. How pricing works ›