smoke alarms

[Bob_VT]

I just came from a seminar about "fire/home safety" and learned quite a bit about smoke alarms and saw a few nice products.

What kind of smoke alarms does everyone use? This was about Master Guard products.

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: smoke alarms

I think all 5 of mine are Kidde, if you're asking about brand. Just replaced my CO detector due to age and plan to start replacing my smoke detectors this next year.

Since you've been to "alarm academy", what tips can you share?

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: smoke alarms

The most disturbing was the failure rate and what is actually listed in the instruction manuals..... failure rate is almost 40% The standard smoke detectors are all basically the same type of detection ionization and they have a high failure rate..... yet approved for home use! The ones I saw last night were photoelectric with a lower failure rate. A smoke alarm has a life of only 8-10 years.

The summary is you need to use both.

It was a real DOOM and GLOOM presentation. I am not impressed by being told I will die in a fire..... hell I am going to die anyway.

I also saw a very impressive heat activated fire bell louder than an alarm clock but based on the same principle .... a big strong wind up main spring activated by a thermal fuse set at 117 degrees. LOUD!

 

[i386]

Re: smoke alarms

Mine work. My wife's cooking is a testament to that.


Seriously though. Mine are more than 8 years old. It wouldn't be a bad idea to replace them. They're not that expensive.

 

[heyttown]

Re: smoke alarms

The local news did a report on smoke alarm safety and a comparison on which brands they found worked the best.

Hope mods let clickable links in here.

http://nbc24.com/news/content.aspx?id=61675

Video
media02.toast.net/nbc24.com/news/1101077pmsmokedetectors.wmv

just copy and paste link above in your browser,it should load using whatever media device you have on the computer.

Consumer reports on smokes.
http://www.consumersearch.com/www/house_and_home/smoke-detectors/

 

[Tyme2fish]

Re: smoke alarms

Mine work. My wife's cooking is a testament to that.


Seriously though. Mine are more than 8 years old. It wouldn't be a bad idea to replace them. They're not that expensive.

I used to have a sign in the kitchen that said,"When the smoke alarm goes off, dinner is ready."

 

[Caveman Charlie]

Re: smoke alarms

My own cooking sets mine off once and awhile. It is quite old though and should be replaced. If your a tennant in MN your landlord is suppose to, by law, provide a smoke/ carbon monoxide detector for each floor and or bedroom of the house. I have one on the main floor and that's it. Nobody sleeps up stairs anyway. And the basement is just a moldy pit.

 

[v1_0]

Re: smoke alarms

Mounting the Smoke detector up high, and a seperate CO2 detector down low seems a better route. Being that CO2 is heavier than air....

For the kitchen, there are "heat detectors" that sense heat rather than smoke.

-V

 

[Caveman Charlie]

Re: smoke alarms

A propane detector for my camper. Or, even a house. Seems like a good idea to me. But, there expensive and difficult to find.

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: smoke alarms

Mounting the Smoke detector up high, and a seperate CO2 detector down low seems a better route. Being that CO2 is heavier than air....

For the kitchen, there are "heat detectors" that sense heat rather than smoke.

-V

Why would anyone need a CO2 detector?

 

[Xcusme]

Re: smoke alarms

Why would anyone need a CO2 detector?

To test to see if grandpa is still with us....?

 

[v1_0]

Re: smoke alarms

Why would anyone need a CO2 detector?

If you heat with anything other than pure electric (heat pump, heat strips, etc) and/or solar. And don't have an attached garage...

Oil/gas/wood stove heating can give off CO2.

Everyone needs to decide for themselves what the risk of CO2 is - right now I heat with a heat pump, so I don't feel the need to install a CO2 detector. However when I get either (or both) of the fireplaces up and running - then I will certainly install CO2 detectors.

-V

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: smoke alarms

Be very afraid of carbonated drinks and beer. They both give off a lot of CO2.

 

[Caveman Charlie]

Re: smoke alarms

If you heat with anything other than pure electric (heat pump, heat strips, etc) and/or solar. And don't have an attached garage...

Oil/gas/wood stove heating can give off CO2.

Everyone needs to decide for themselves what the risk of CO2 is - right now I heat with a heat pump, so I don't feel the need to install a CO2 detector. However when I get either (or both) of the fireplaces up and running - then I will certainly install CO2 detectors.

-V

I think there giving you grief. You mean Carbon Monoxide, not CO2. There two different gasses.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: smoke alarms

All the ones mentioned in the Consumer Reports article were battery only powered. Are there any hardwired AC models that are dual sensor?

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: smoke alarms

Kidde does but read the very last line

This 85-decibel smoke alarm provides superior protection in bedroom and living room areas. It has a photoelectric sensor to quickly detect slow-burning smoldering fires. It also has an ionization sensor to quickly detect fast flaming fires. The alarm includes a front-mounted hush button to silence any nuisance alarms, along with a test/reset button to verify operation any time.
This alarm is the hard-wired model, can be interconected with up to 24 other units, and has a battery backup in the event of a power outage.

Manufacturer Warranty: 5 Years
Instructions: English & Spanish
Temperature Range: 40 degres Fahrenheit (4.4 deg/ C) to 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 deg. C)
Compliances: UL, FHA, HUD, NFPA, CA State Fire Marshall
Origin: China