Time change: change the smoke detector batteries

[RobertN]

Did you change your smoke detector batteries when you changed your clocks?

As a general guide, most Fire and Safety groups recommend changing the batteries at each time change.

Also, smoke detectors usually have a limited useful life. It is a good idea to check the unit itself, and it's documentation, to see how long it is good for.

If you are not sure, ask at your local Fire Station.

 

[Marine1]

That's very good advice. I too change my batteries in my detectors. I will probably have to change my detectors this time around also. I think they are about 7 years old. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif Our local news said that the average life of a detector is +- 5yrs.
They also said the tester may work even though the sensor is bad. It's the sensor that goes bad and there is no real way to test them. I guess that's true, but I don't really know for sure. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif It makes sense though. Anyway thanks for tip.

 

[NY_Yankees_Fan]

As a fire safety professional Isuggest the following:

Make sure the smoke detectors you install are dual sensor type, photoelectric and ionization. Kidde has an electric unit with battery back up; model number PI 2000 has both sensors. Photoelectric for slow smoldering fires such as a cigarette in a chair or waste paper basket, and ionization for fast flaming fires such as when gasoline burns. They should be in all sleeping areas and hallways outside of sleeping areas as well on each level of your home. The Kidde unit is 120V with battery back up, you can connect up to 24 smoke, carbon and heat detectors on one circuit. The model number is PI 2000 for electric and PI 9000 for battery only.

Check out the Kidde web site

http://www.kiddeus.com/442006.shtml

web page

 

[Marine1]

Yankee fan,
Thanks for the info and Thank You for what you do.

 

[bczoom]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The Kidde unit is 120V with battery back up, you can connect up to 24 smoke, carbon and heat detectors on one circuit. The model number is PI 2000 for electric and PI 9000 for battery only. )</font>

Tom,
OK. I'm a little behind on smoke detectors. What does it mean to connect up to 24 on one circuit?

I have a smoke detector in every room of the house as well as all garages, buildings... but I've always just used the 9v Kidde's. (buy by the case from a box store). Running 110v versions would be a difficult task. Are the 9v versions still OK?

 

[NY_Yankees_Fan]

Zoom,

Yes a battery unit is OK. Many times in new construction they will install smoke detectors that are 120V with battery back up. For existing homes, battery only is fine as long as you change the batteries every 6 months. When I added an addition to the house a few years back, local fire inspector made me upgrade all our battery smoke detectors to 120V. At that time they did not have the duel sensor 120V units on the market and I ended up putting a photoelectric battery operated detector next to the ionization 120 v detector. I did this on my own since I knew you should have both types. Fire Inspector just wanted the 120V unit, did not care what type. Since smoke detectors only last about 5-10 years, I will change out to the duel 120V smoke detectors soon.

 

[PBMAX]

bc zoom, smoke detectors today have a single wire(usually ORANGE or tagged or both) that can be connected from one detector to the next so that if one goes off, they all do. So you hear the alarm no matter were you are in the place. This is on all AC voltage models but I'm not sure if it's on the battery only type. My home has only the ac type and thanks to the info provide by NYF(thanks much). I will be changing out the 3 we have to the dual sensor,dual pwr source..

 

[bczoom]

Thanks everyone.

It's probably been a few years so I think I'll swing out tonight and pick up a case of new detectors. Pulling wires to go with AC or to string the alarms really isn't an option but day or night, I can hear if any of them chirp.