FAQs • Nantucket, MA • CivicEngage

Why do my smoke detectors “chirp” sometimes?: The reason some smoke detectors "chirp" is due to a low battery. Most manufacturers have this built in feature that will make the detector "chirp" once every 30-60 seconds when the battery is getting low. Replacing the battery will usually correct this issue. It is a good idea to change the batteries twice a year.

An easy way to remember this is whenever you change your clocks for daylight savings, change the batteries in your smoke detectors.

Note: Even if you have hardwired smoke detectors, if it has a battery back-up it will usually have this function.

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Fire Department

1. Why are house numbers so important?: House numbers are the means by which emergency responds identify your house in the event of an emergency and are required by law. In the event of a fire, we might see the smoke or fire, but if you need an ambulance it will take much longer to identify your house if house numbers are not visible from the road. Also, we have to be able to identify your house in the day, night, and under many different weather conditions.

House numbers should be a minimum of 3 inches in height, posted on the house and in contrasting color to the house. If you cannot easily see the numbers on the house from the street, another set of numbers is required to be posted at the street, usually on a mailbox or post.

2. Why do my smoke detectors “chirp” sometimes?: The reason some smoke detectors "chirp" is due to a low battery. Most manufacturers have this built in feature that will make the detector "chirp" once every 30-60 seconds when the battery is getting low. Replacing the battery will usually correct this issue. It is a good idea to change the batteries twice a year.

An easy way to remember this is whenever you change your clocks for daylight savings, change the batteries in your smoke detectors.

Note: Even if you have hardwired smoke detectors, if it has a battery back-up it will usually have this function.

3. Why I need a carbon monoxide detector?: Massachusetts Law requires all residential occupancy to have carbon monoxide detectors installed if they have a fossil fuel burning appliance or an attached garage. Fossil fuel burning appliances are oil and gas burners/ furnaces, wood stoves and pellet stoves just to name a few.

Fossil fuel appliances and motor vehicles produce carbon monoxide as products of the combustion process. Usually, these products of combustion are exhausted by a flue pipe or chimney, but if the vent gets blocked in any way, these gasses may back up into the house.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas and cannot be picked up by the human senses. The only way to determine if carbon monoxide is present is by a carbon monoxide detector or by a special metering device used by the Fire Department.

Exposure to carbon monoxide may produce serious health effects or death.

4. My smoke detectors sound every time I take a shower or cook in the kitchen, what can I do?: There are two different types of smoke detectors available, ionization and photo-electric. Both types are designed to alert you in the event of a fire but each reacts differently to products of combustion.

Ionization detectors react very quickly and are sensitive to steam and low amounts of cooking smoke.

Photo-electric detectors are less sensitive to these "nuisance" alarms such as steam and cooking smoke. Any smoke detector installed within 20 feet of a kitchen or bathroom with a tub / shower should be a photo-electric detector.