Any idea how long a smoke alarm will sound until the battery dies?

[FreezerBird]

I fear we may be about to find out.

There is an incredibly loud beep coming, we think, from the shed of a slightly deaf elderly neighbour. I've had a little walk along the street and all the houses have people home in them (judging by lights, presence of car etc), and no sign of problems. The beep is loudest at the corner near her shed, and quieter by the front of her house so I'm sure it's not in the house.

Trying to alert her would a) alarm her and b) disturb more people than the beep currently does.

How long do we think?

[Cherrysoup]

Oh lord, ime, possibly days! Ours went when we had no way of reaching a very high up one, I had to borrow a ladder from the poor neighbour!

[FreezerBird]

Well, I can't keep my eyes open any longer so I'm off to bed (have been avoiding because the noise is on that side of the house.)

[thecatneuterer]

Many weeks. I have to visit a lot of houses. I have been to many with a beeping smoke alarm and on a revisit, some weeks later, it's still been beeping. It drives me mad and I'm only there a short time. I'm astounded that so many people seem to be so blase about living with that dreadful noise.

[Alisonjabub]

Youre prob looking at around 4-6 weeks. Had a rental property that was empty and thats about how long it went on for

[Witchend]

Why don't you put a note through the door and let her know?

[FreezerBird]

I put a note through last night.

It's so loud. I'm sitting here with all the windows closed listening to it.

[FreezerBird]

It's stopped! She's just gone back in from the shed.

We have a lot of things in our house which beep for attention, including a few medical devices. I really didn't want an external beep as well!

[FreezerBird]

It's started again!

What on earth is going on?

[YeOldeTrout]

up to a week, sorry.

[Aragog]

A long time!

Ours did it when we were away for a long weekend. We didn't know until we got a Facebook message from a neighbour. It was driving them mad.

We were about 3.5 hours away and couldn't return and typically no key with anyone local.

We ended up paying for a locksmith to break the locks to gain entry, have FIL meet him there and organise for the neighbour to disconnect the alarm, and then the locksmith to fit us a new lock.

Cost around £200 to sort. But it was better that than alienate all our neighbours for another 3 days.

We got new alarms fitted when we were back.

[FreezerBird]

Aaaand it's stopped again.

Although I feel I can hear it in my head.