Is this a fire hazard? Should the smoke detector be replaced?

Question

Our upstairs neighbors had another water leak this morning. I awoke to the smoke alarm chirping and my ceiling, doorframes and carpet soaked. They are fixing the leak upstairs right now, but the alarm chirping is driving me nuts. I am afraid to disconnect it, because water/electricity is a dangerous mix and I don't know which circuit it is on.
The last time this happen, the smoke alarm didn't get soaked, so I didn't worry about it. But now, I am a little worried that it might short circuit and cause a fire.
Do I have a right to be concerned? If so, I will go tell maintenance to replace it right now. Or should I just let it air out and check for corrosion once everything is dry.
Thanks!

It's hard wired. The maintenance men just knocked on my door to tell me that they had fixed the problem upstairs and to call to have them check for mold/and paint in a month. I told them about the smoke alarm and they disconnected it (water poured from it). They said it would trip the circuit before it would spark or shock anyone.
So thanks to everyone who replied and said the same thing, makes me have more confidence in the maintenance men.
I am supposed to call tomorrow and have them reconnect it/replace it. Got to let it air out first. :)

Ofcourse I am worried about the water damage, but I was more concerned about it being a fire hazard when I posted this question. Corrosion and damage to the electrical is affects my safety.
We do have a back up battery smoke detector, so we are not totally unprotected.
Believe me I have no problem going to the health department, (I didn't think twice about calling the Fire Deparment when the idiots who put up the new Siding up, covered our dryer vents. Talk about fixing it fast!)
But they responded to the leak within ten minutes of me calling it in. Had it stopped almost immediately and had it totally fixed this afternoon. So I hope if there is any major damage and mold that they take care of it just as quickly.
So unless I start seeing black mold, and I start coughing my lungs out and peeing my pants constantly, and the management company doesn't seem to care, I am not going to panic about the water damage.
Again, thanks for all the good information!

Answer 1

Advise the maintenance folks of the problem, and they will figure out what to do about it. The gadget may need replacement -- or not. Encourage them to replace it if there is any question, as it is obviously useful to have smoke detectors that work.

Answer 2

First, and foremost, do not occupy your apartment without a working smoke detector!! Most jurisdictions require the property to be protected by smoke alarms in working order.

Second, is the smoke detector sounding because of the water in it or is there a short somewhere causing valid activation of the unit? If you have that much water damage, you probably have water in electrical junction boxes/wiring that may be shorting, causing a serious fire hazard. Do not rely on the breakers to protect you. In any mechanical system failure is possible and electrical fires are one of the most common.

Three, insist that all building materials affected by the water be replaced. Wallboard, carpet, cabinets etc. Checking for mold in a couple of days is not enough. Mold will grow. Most health agencies have rules about flood damage. If your landlord is not willing to get the replacement done contact your local health department.

Answer 3

There are a couple of possibilities. The smoke alarm is either hardwired, which means it is connected to high voltage and potentially a shock hazard. There should be a breaker that can be de-energized until they have the problem solved. The other possibility is that it is battery powered (most likely unless the building is quite new). If battery powered, just remove the battery until they have the problem solved. In either case, once the water leak is fixed, be sure to have the detector replaced because they do not tolerate flooding and should not be trusted.

Answer 4

Fire alarms come low voltage and high voltage. If you are not sure it is best for you not to tamper with it. You can see if turning the breakers off and then back on will stop the chirping, and if that does not help, ask your land lord to send a person out to check it.

Answer 5

your stuff is soaked and you are worried about a smoke alarm? Lady show people the damage done by the water.
That damn battery isn't going to do anything. THE WATER... THE WATER... SHOW SOMEBODY THE WATER...

Answer 6

if the alarm is hard wired, it will kick the breaker off if it shorts out,
if its battery powered take the battery out, let it dry out,