mystery-beeping-in-your-home?-here’s-what-to-check-first-to-stop-the-noise
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Mystery Beeping in Your Home? Here’s What to Check First to Stop the Noise

ByStan S.

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There are few things more annoying than an incessant beeping sound in your home that no matter how high and low you search, you can’t identify. It could be a smoke detector, appliance, security system or some other device, and it can feel like playing whack-a-mole, going from room to room to try and track it down.

To help you figure out what’s beeping, we’ve listed the common culprits and explained how you can stop the noise for good.

Common Sources of Beeping

While every home is different, the following items are often the cause of intermittent beeping in houses and apartments.

Smoke Detectors

Smoke detectors let out a shrill beep when they detect smoke, but a subtle chirping sound that comes every 30-60 seconds is likely indicative of a low battery or other fault.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Similarly to smoke detectors, a carbon monoxide detector will produce a quiet chirp when the battery is low. Check all the places where carbon monoxide detectors should be; including bedrooms, the basements and attic.

Appliances

Modern appliances are designed to beep when alerting you of a fault, a finished cycle, and more. This includes but isn’t limited to the following appliances:

  • Dishwashers
  • Washing Machines
  • Dryers
  • Refrigerators
  • Dehumidifiers
  • Air Purifiers
  • Freezers
  • Ovens
  • Countertop Appliances

Security Systems

Your home security system may emit a beep or chirp to alert you of a dying battery or a fault, such as a door or window that’s unsecured.

Thermostat

Thermostats may produce a beeping sound to indicate a low battery, a system fault, or a problem with the thermostat.

Personal Electronic Devices

Your phone, smart watch, tablet, and computer should be some of the first things you check when hearing a mysterious beep in your home. These devices are known for making strange sounds, and it’s very likely that one could produce a new sound you’ve never heard related to a new alert or fault.

Smart Sensors and Other Smart Devices

Smart home devices and smart sensors like water and moisture detectors may beep to indicate a dying battery or to alert you of a potential problem.

Steps to Identify the Source of Beeping

Try these steps to identify the source of your beeping.

  • Listen from room to room. Go from room to room and listen closely until you hear the beep. Try to determine if the beep is in the room or if you’ve gotten further away from it.
  • Turn off all electronic devices one at a time. This may take some time, but go to each electronic device and turn it off, wait for the beep, then move on to the next device until you no longer hear the beep. We recommend starting with the easiest items to turn on and off. If you can safely turn off your home’s main breaker, this will determine if the beep is coming from a battery-powered device or one powered by the grid.
  • Take notes. If you still haven’t located the beep, time how long the space is between the beeps and note if there are any changes in the beep’s sound or approximate location, which could indicate different sources.

To increase the likelihood of accurately locating the beep, turn off anything making ambient noise in your house, such as the HVAC, fans, and the TV.

How to Resolve the Beeping Sound

A good first step is to first reference the manual for the appliance or device, which often lists potential causes for the beeping. Here are a few reasons to consider and steps to take to resolve the issue.

  1. Replace or charge batteries. If the device is indicating a low battery, replace the batteries or recharge the device until the beeping stops.
  2. Reset devices. If the beep is indicating a fault with the device itself, you can try resetting the device by unplugging it, removing and putting in new batteries or following manufacturer-specific instructions for a reset.
  3. Remedy the external problem. If the device is indicating an external problem, such as moisture or water, fixing the issue should resolve the beeping. If the noise doesn’t stop once the external problem is resolved, reset the device.
  4. Fix an internal problem. An appliance or device could be beeping to alert you of a problem with the item itself such as broken components, improper installation, improper use, and more. Check the manual to see what the possible internal issues could be and how to fix them. You may also need to reset the device.

Don’t turn off a device’s beep without first understanding why it’s beeping. Some reasons for strange beeping from a device could be serious matters that need to be remedied.

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