I don’t know about you but chirping smoke detectors drive me crazy. Why is it they always seemed to chirp late at night while trying to sleep or during the best part of my favorite TV show? Smoke detectors chirp for a variety of reasons, one being low battery power. Many smoke detectors have a chirping safety warning built in, almost like saying “change my batteries or I will annoy you until you do”. That is, they will chirp when the batteries are running low; a warning that they need to be replaced. Well there is some good news; because of some newly enacted regulations will cause our smoke detectors to become less annoying and at the same time protect us better. On February 5, 2018 new regulations were adopted, improving life safety. The New Jersey Administrative code 5:70 will change. The new regulations while adopted in 2018 are not expected be enforced until January 1, 2019. The newly adopted code will require 10-year sealed battery-powered single smoke alarms to be installed where no-battery and replaceable battery units once existed. Imagine how wonderful 10 years of no chirping will be. Of course, all smoke alarms will still need to be maintained in accordance with the New Jersey Administrative Code and the code updates will apply to most dwellings including multi-family dwellings, hotels, motels, dorms, detached single dwellings and two-family dwellings.