So fire detectors are useless right?

[Insomniator]

It goes off if I fry a ****ing egg in my apartment. Also, I'm never going not know there is a real fire in my 800 sq ft apartment. Its literally never useful. I can't even turn it off when there is that tiny bit of smoke, it just stops beeping for 20 seconds and then comes back.

I leave the batteries out until a message about apt inspection comes around every 6 months or so, then forget I put them back in -- so it alarms.... the next day.

I think i want to get a separate Carbon Monoxide detector because those WOULD be helpful. How about 24/7 monoxide detection but a sleep mode (during the day) for smoke?

 

[Naer]

whatever happened to good old fashioned sense of smell?

 

[Red Squirrel]

Some smoke detectors are more sensitive than others, I suck at cooking and never had mine go off. Even when I'm soldering in my home office which is close to the detector it never goes off.

It DOES work, I tested it.

 

[IronWing]

Posting in a Mayne thread.

 

[snoopy7548]

There shouldn't be any smoke if you're properly frying an egg. PEBSASD (Problem Exists Between Stove and Smoke Detector).

 

[Darwin333]

Trust me, being severely burned sucks way worse than any inconvenience you are experiencing. I have experience on the subject and you really really want to take my word on it.

 

[lxskllr]

My cats tell me when something's wrong. Usually the litter box needs cleaning, or the food bowl needs filling, but I'm sure they'd tell me about a fire.

 

[Brainonska511]

Sounds like you may have one or more of the following issues: it's too close to the kitchen, you need to learn to use an exhaust fan on your stove, you need a detector meant to be close or inside of kitchens, or you need to learn how to properly cook.

 

[Exterous]

It may be that you have a crapily made ionization alarm. I've also heard that you can get build up between the two metal plates causing the alarm to be more sensitive than usual although I have no idea if thats true. See if its a twist off model that you can replace yourself and see if you still have the problem with a better model. Alternatively I have heard that shower caps actually work to decrease sensitivity and would probably be easier than taking out the batteries

 

[BoomerD]

Smoke detectors really weren't meant to be used as oven timers...although some of my senior citizen neighbors seem to think they are.

 

[bradly1101]

Mine goes off if I take too hot of a shower or if I boil water in the kitchen quite a ways away, but it is in the line of sight.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I actually want to put more smoke detectors around the house. Though I need to design and build my new automation system first, I want to come up with a good modular design, then I would tie them all in. That way if I'm not home I would get an alert on my phone if one goes off. I'm always reluctant to leave the crockpot or other appliances on if I'm not home in case they fail catastrophically. There's also the server room, if a server PSU fails etc it could in theory cause a fire and it would take a long time to reach the smoke detector. I should have like two in the hot aisle and 2 in the cold aisle, maybe even one in the furnace return duct. Though a laser is better for that.

Attic smoke detectors are also not a bad idea and I'm surprised it's not code. My parents got a fire that originated outside. By the time it would have hit the smoke detector inside it would be too late. My dad happened to see light outside and found the fire, they easily could have slept through the whole thing. Scary thought.

 

[John Connor]

You need a combination radiation-based, optical-based detector. And there should be at least two on each floor. In addition to carbon monoxide detectors in each room. Why they say on the outside of the room I don't know. The carbon monoxide from the furnace will travel through the vents. Although, you should have at least one on each floor as well as in rooms. That's just me.

I also have a fire extinguisher near the fireplace and in the kitchen. Thinking about buying another for downstairs. The one I got down there now is low.

 

[John Connor]

It may be that you have a crapily made ionization alarm. I've also heard that you can get build up between the two metal plates causing the alarm to be more sensitive than usual

I believe they should be replace4d every ten years.

 

[tynopik]

yes, smoke detectors are useless if you take the batteries out

 

[Red Squirrel]

Smokes typically last 10 years, CO about 5.

Though I think they last way longer, but that is typically the guaranteed years I guess.

 

[John Connor]

No that, I didn't know about CO detectors.

 

[boomerang]

Remove the smoke detector and check the date on the sticker. If it's ten years old or older, get ahold of the landlord and let them know that you have an outdated detector and you're wondering if that's legal.

If they're smart, they'll replace it and maybe you'll get something better. Yes, it's a crap shoot.

 

[WilliamM2]

Smokes typically last 10 years, CO about 5.

Though I think they last way longer, but that is typically the guaranteed years I guess.

For the last 15 years or more, all smoke alarms and CO detectors will start to chirp when they expire, usually at 2:30 in the morning.

The ones I bought last year as replacements said they will chirp in 10 years, previous were 7 years for CO, 10 for smoke detectors.

 

[highland145]

2:30 in the morning

QFT. Some nerd engineer is giggling every time he thinks about it.

 

[PricklyPete]

Disagree. Live in 100 year old house that has plenty of potential fire hazards. Put 4 Nests throughout the house and they have been great. When smoke is detected, audible alert (actual words). I can then choose to override and the specific alarm stops bothering me other than to let me know when the smoke clears. Wife loves them as well...which every married man knows is incredibly important.

 

[highland145]

Disagree. Live in 100 year old house that has plenty of potential fire hazards. Put 4 Nests throughout the house and they have been great. When smoke is detected, audible alert (actual words). I can then choose to override and the specific alarm stops bothering me other than to let me know when the smoke clears. Wife loves them as well...which every married man knows is incredibly important.

Watching a program some years back and kids(even 20 y.o.) didn't wake up with the beeping of a detector. They were testing one where the parents could record their own message and it seemed to work better.

 

[dullard]

Often they are placed in a terrible spot (direct funnel from stove to someplace higher in your house). Or as others have said, yours may be out of its usable lifespan.

But I really came here to post that many detectors have a feature that let you tell it that you will be cooking and it will turn down the sensitivity for a short period. Generally, you just tap the button shortly, THEN cook. It will be less sensitive during the cooking period and then automatically resume normal sensitivity later. But of course you have to activate that feature before you start the cooking process.

 

[rh71]

You need a combination radiation-based, optical-based detector. And there should be at least two on each floor. In addition to carbon monoxide detectors in each room. Why they say on the outside of the room I don't know. The carbon monoxide from the furnace will travel through the vents. Although, you should have at least one on each floor as well as in rooms. That's just me.

I also have a fire extinguisher near the fireplace and in the kitchen. Thinking about buying another for downstairs. The one I got down there now is low.

The only vents in our bedrooms are from the CAC that's run through the attic. We have baseboard heating and not open vents so unless CO can come through there, there's no reason to have a CO alarm in each bedroom. We have just smoke in each of the bedrooms, plus a CO/smoke combo in the hallway of each floor.

For the last 15 years or more, all smoke alarms and CO detectors will start to chirp when they expire, usually at 2:30 in the morning.

The ones I bought last year as replacements said they will chirp in 10 years, previous were 7 years for CO, 10 for smoke detectors.

Seems close. We built a new 2nd floor and had all new detectors put in 2010 (detectors marked 2010). They have been starting to chirp for replacement within the last year. I think the smoke-only one chirped due to permanent malfunction and the combo due to end of service life.

 

[Red Squirrel]

For the last 15 years or more, all smoke alarms and CO detectors will start to chirp when they expire, usually at 2:30 in the morning.

The ones I bought last year as replacements said they will chirp in 10 years, previous were 7 years for CO, 10 for smoke detectors.

LOL I had my CO detector do that while I was on night shift. My poor cat had to endure that for about 12 hours.