What is a common reason for false alarms in smoke detectors?

The accumulation of dust or insects in smoke detectors is indeed a common reason for false alarms. Smoke detectors are designed to detect particles associated with smoke from a fire. However, if there is a build-up of dust or if insects enter the detector, these non-smoke particles can trigger the alarm as the sensor may interpret them as smoke particles. Regular cleaning and maintenance of smoke detectors are essential to ensure that they function correctly and do not mistakenly report a fire due to these common obstructions.

While factors such as water leaks, battery failure, and incorrect installation can contribute to detector performance issues, they do not typically induce false alarms in the same direct way that accumulation of dust or insects does. Water leaks might affect the electrical components but would not produce smoke-like particles, battery failure would lead to the detector not functioning at all or chirping, and incorrect installation can prevent the device from operating properly but would not usually cause a false alarm on its own.