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2012-05-14 4:39 AM

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Subject: Help me stop my smoke detectors!

About 3 times last night the hard-wired smoke detectors in the house went off.  No, there was no emergency.  We're not talking "chirping".  Oh no.  They WENT OFF!  None of them were glowing red, all had happy green little lights while my children were scared out of their wits.  How do I make sure this doesn't happen again??? 

Help me, please!!!!



2012-05-14 5:31 AM
in reply to: #4207892

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Subject: RE: Help me stop my smoke detectors!
a) while hard wired they all also have batteries - change them ALL
b) take a hair dryer and blow them all clean (don't laugh)

Ours started going off like that about a year after we moved into our brand new house (yes we had replaced all the batteries) called the manufacturer, they told me that something as fine as a spider web could break the beam and trigger them. After cleaning out the cobwebs (literally?) problem stopped
2012-05-14 7:14 AM
in reply to: #4207892

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Subject: RE: Help me stop my smoke detectors!
sungirl919 - 2012-05-14 5:39 AM

About 3 times last night the hard-wired smoke detectors in the house went off.  No, there was no emergency.  We're not talking "chirping".  Oh no.  They WENT OFF!  None of them were glowing red, all had happy green little lights while my children were scared out of their wits.  How do I make sure this doesn't happen again??? 

Help me, please!!!!

Older hardwired detectors suck.  We (had) 2 of them.  Depending on the age of your electrical system you can get some odd fluctuations in the voltage to the detectors and they will go off.  Happened to us a few times a few years ago.

2 options.

1.  Buy new hardwired ones. The newer ones seem to have better voltage surge/drop protection to prevent false trips.

2.  Replace with battery powered ones.

2012-05-14 7:19 AM
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Subject: RE: Help me stop my smoke detectors!
10 year-old house if that helps direct any of your advice.  I GREATLY appreciate it! 
2012-05-14 7:22 AM
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Subject: RE: Help me stop my smoke detectors!

Any of the other replies may work, cleaning may help, using a hair dryer or vacuum as I did.  Our have only gone off for either 'low voltage / voltage spike'.  A low battery is usually the chirp not actually going off.  It's also possible that the detector is old enough that it's gone bad, smoke alarms don't last forever, if that's the case, just replace them.

Chris.

2012-05-14 7:29 AM
in reply to: #4208019

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Subject: RE: Help me stop my smoke detectors!

sungirl919 - 2012-05-14 8:19 AM 10 year-old house if that helps direct any of your advice.  I GREATLY appreciate it! 

Mine were 20+ years old   Still, if they are malfunctioning you cannot trust them.  For the $50-75 it'll cost I'd replace them both (all).



2012-05-14 8:01 AM
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Subject: RE: Help me stop my smoke detectors!
TriRSquared - 2012-05-14 8:29 AM

sungirl919 - 2012-05-14 8:19 AM 10 year-old house if that helps direct any of your advice.  I GREATLY appreciate it! 

Mine were 20+ years old   Still, if they are malfunctioning you cannot trust them.  For the $50-75 it'll cost I'd replace them both (all).

Yipes.  That's 7 plus one hard-wired. 

2012-05-14 8:38 AM
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Subject: RE: Help me stop my smoke detectors!
sungirl919 - 2012-05-14 9:01 AM
TriRSquared - 2012-05-14 8:29 AM

sungirl919 - 2012-05-14 8:19 AM 10 year-old house if that helps direct any of your advice.  I GREATLY appreciate it! 

Mine were 20+ years old   Still, if they are malfunctioning you cannot trust them.  For the $50-75 it'll cost I'd replace them both (all).

Yipes.  That's 7 plus one hard-wired. 

If only the hardwired one went off then just replace the one hardwired one.  No need to replace the battery ones.

7?  Wow.  How big is your house?

2012-05-14 10:59 AM
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Subject: RE: Help me stop my smoke detectors!

building rules around here are: 1 in every bedroom + 1 on every floor

Upstairs = 4 (3 bedrooms + 1 hallway)

1st floor = 1

basement = 2 (1 in storage area + 1 in multipurpose room)

 

2012-05-14 11:24 AM
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Subject: RE: Help me stop my smoke detectors!
Interesting.  Building codes are quite different here.
2012-05-14 8:17 PM
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Subject: RE: Help me stop my smoke detectors!

3 hours of sleep + 7 new 9-volts + "dusting" the alarms + a homemade steak dinner and beer for my retired fire-fighter father to "come over" (2 hour drive) and check everything out =  hopefully a sound night's sleep for everyone

 

If it goes off again tonight, I'm moving in to one of your homes.

 

Thanks for all the help!



2012-05-14 8:44 PM
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Subject: RE: Help me stop my smoke detectors!
Just last year our electrician (also a fire chief) told us that on average they only "last" about 10 years. Checked with my father in law (also former firefighter) who confirmed the information. Replaced all 7 in the house. Better safe than sorry
2012-05-14 9:15 PM
in reply to: #4209721

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Subject: RE: Help me stop my smoke detectors!
Take one off the wall and check for a "born on" date on the back. If it's over ten, you need to replace it. Even most manufacturers state this, and apparently many of those suckers have warranties that expire. Unfortunately it's something that homeowners rarely get told. The most commonly used smoke alarms function in the same way a garage door safety device does - with a beam of light directed across a space. If anything interrupts the beam of light, the alarm goes off. This is a common place for bugs to enjoy when weather changes, and a good place for construction dust to settle. Once they start going off, and the battery isn't the issue, you really should replace it anyway, because they tend to go downhill from there. Also - when they go off, there's usually at least one that flashes a code. Usually a green light, a small red one should blink in it's place. The legend for this code should also be on the back.

Edited by ironultrared 2012-05-14 9:19 PM
2012-05-14 9:21 PM
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Subject: RE: Help me stop my smoke detectors!
Make sure they are not combination smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.  If they are co detectors you need to get your gas appliances checked immediately.  Justs seems odd that several of them went off.
2012-05-14 9:47 PM
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Subject: RE: Help me stop my smoke detectors!
ttuna - 2012-05-14 9:21 PMMake sure they are not combination smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.  If they are co detectors you need to get your gas appliances checked immediately.  Justs seems odd that several of them went off.
This is a really good point. While the alarms are set up like Christmas lights (one goes off, they all go off - well, supposed to) it is a good idea to check out the appliances if they are gas. And we've seen a TON of the combo units go bad in the last year. They seem to only last five years, or there was a bad batch. Although - if the alarms are the original ones, they're likely smoke alarm only.
2012-05-14 11:51 PM
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Subject: RE: Help me stop my smoke detectors!

Here's a thought since placement of the smoke detectors was brought up.  We lost our 2 year old home to a fire.....the only reason we got out was because my wife woke up to feed our then 7 week old son and thought she smelled smoke.  She woke me up and I found that the entire attic was fully engulfed....it wasn't as calm as it seems now when I write about it (the fire started in the garage when a bag of match light charcoal combusted, went up a wall stud, into the attic, and ran the length of the house).  We had 4 detectors in the house, none went off.....the fire was contained in the attic and the roof was ridge vented.(flames were 10 feet high the entire length of the roof when I first saw them)  We were out of the house maybe 10 minutes when the ceiling caved in.  (maybe 5 minutes....it was crazy)

I have a detector in my garage and in my attic now....just saying.

On another note.....for personal growth, everyone should lose everything they own at least once in their life.    (but NOT twice)  Laughing



Edited by Left Brain 2012-05-14 11:56 PM


2012-05-15 7:19 AM
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Subject: RE: Help me stop my smoke detectors!
No alarms last night, thank goodness.  But it still looks like I have a project this weekend!  Very good advice from everyone! 

Edited by sungirl919 2012-05-15 7:20 AM
2012-05-15 11:39 PM
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Subject: RE: Help me stop my smoke detectors!
Left Brain - 2012-05-14 11:51 PM

Here's a thought since placement of the smoke detectors was brought up.  We lost our 2 year old home to a fire.....the only reason we got out was because my wife woke up to feed our then 7 week old son and thought she smelled smoke.  She woke me up and I found that the entire attic was fully engulfed....it wasn't as calm as it seems now when I write about it (the fire started in the garage when a bag of match light charcoal combusted, went up a wall stud, into the attic, and ran the length of the house).  We had 4 detectors in the house, none went off.....the fire was contained in the attic and the roof was ridge vented.(flames were 10 feet high the entire length of the roof when I first saw them)  We were out of the house maybe 10 minutes when the ceiling caved in.  (maybe 5 minutes....it was crazy)

I have a detector in my garage and in my attic now....just saying.

On another note.....for personal growth, everyone should lose everything they own at least once in their life.    (but NOT twice)  Laughing

I'm sincerely glad you didn't lose what really matters. But I'm sorry you lost all your possessions.
2012-05-16 12:35 AM
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Subject: RE: Help me stop my smoke detectors!
ironultrared - 2012-05-15 11:39 PM
Left Brain - 2012-05-14 11:51 PM

Here's a thought since placement of the smoke detectors was brought up.  We lost our 2 year old home to a fire.....the only reason we got out was because my wife woke up to feed our then 7 week old son and thought she smelled smoke.  She woke me up and I found that the entire attic was fully engulfed....it wasn't as calm as it seems now when I write about it (the fire started in the garage when a bag of match light charcoal combusted, went up a wall stud, into the attic, and ran the length of the house).  We had 4 detectors in the house, none went off.....the fire was contained in the attic and the roof was ridge vented.(flames were 10 feet high the entire length of the roof when I first saw them)  We were out of the house maybe 10 minutes when the ceiling caved in.  (maybe 5 minutes....it was crazy)

I have a detector in my garage and in my attic now....just saying.

On another note.....for personal growth, everyone should lose everything they own at least once in their life.    (but NOT twice)  Laughing

I'm sincerely glad you didn't lose what really matters. But I'm sorry you lost all your possessions.

Thanks!  Truly, Thanks!

The whole story is that we sat in a motel for a few days feeling sorry for ourselves......then we were watching the news and saw a story of a fire in which 3 people died....it changed our lives, and we never looked back.  

We don't really have "possessions" anymore....nothing is important except each other.

I meant it........everyone should experience it.  There is no better lesson on what is REALLY important.

Everything we THOUGHT was important was, in the end,  just fuel.   



Edited by Left Brain 2012-05-16 12:37 AM
2012-05-16 3:06 PM
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Subject: RE: Help me stop my smoke detectors!

I can definitely relate to Left Brain. The last time our smoke detectors went off was Oct 7, 2006. The fire started as an electrical short in the attic or garage wall above the breaker box. We smelled smoke (it was just after dinner) and started to investigate. About that time, the smoke detectors went off. We kicked the dogs out the back door, grabbed my 1 year old daughter out of her high-chair and went out the front door. The garage was fully involved and the fire had run the entire attic.

We lost everything, including both of our cars that were parked on the driveway close to the garage. Between the three of us we got out with two pairs of shorts, one t-shirt, and a wet diaper.  However, most importantly, no one was hurt. Our boxer had some minor burns and cuts to his front paws because he was trying to get back in the house - he was being protective and looking for my wife and daughter. As soon as I carried him around to the front, and he saw them, he settled down.

2012-05-17 12:07 AM
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Subject: RE: Help me stop my smoke detectors!
kenj711 - 2012-05-16 3:06 PM

Our boxer had some minor burns and cuts to his front paws because he was trying to get back in the house - he was being protective and looking for my wife and daughter. As soon as I carried him around to the front, and he saw them, he settled down.

That's pretty cool.....ours was Feb. 7th, 1998.....funny how a day gets burned into your brain, huh?Laughing



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