smoke detectors and thunderstorms?

   / smoke detectors and thunderstorms? #1  

goaliedad

Gold Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2006
Messages
369
Location
NORTHWEST MICHIGAN
Tractor
KUBOTA L175
Early this AM we had a pretty good thunderstrom roll through- four times one of our smoke detectors sounded- only a second or two- but enough to scare the daylights out of one of our dogs. The offending unit is at the peak of a vaulted ceiling- and my tall step ladder is in the pole barn- so I couldn't pull it to try a new battery. We have a monitored alarm system- and about a month ago after a storm we had a failure code on the fire alarms. The tech that came out told me it is not unheard of for this to happen after a storm.

I'm not sure if the offending unit is part of the monitored system or not- but will be replacing batteries tonight. I know, it should have been done back when we went to daylight savings time.....

Other than batteries- any ideas?

Thanks!
 
   / smoke detectors and thunderstorms? #2  
goliedad,

About this time last year our smoke detectors start going off. Since they are all tied togather they all start screaming. At first we might hear a chirp or two usually during the day or evening. Then at around 11:00pm or so the d...md things would go off. At this point we had been in the house six months or so. The batteries should have been good but I replaced them with new ones. The problem still occured. Code requires a detector in each bedroom and outside each bedroom which works out to five detectors for us. Have five of them screaming at you from a dead sleep is NOT fun. Scared the heck out of us and scared aint the word for what it did to the kids...

I took out the batteries in all but one detector. I read the manual on these things and then went to the home stores and read the fine print on other models. High humidity which I think they said was 90% could set them off. If I remember right ozone could set them off as well but I'm not quite so sure on that one. I could see the storms setting them off if the humidity is up in the house, maybe from ozone from the lightning, or just power hits.

The are pieces of you know what as far as I'm concerned and the ones in the stores don't seem any better. Its an issue we have raised with the builder but no answer yet.

Later,
Dan
 
   / smoke detectors and thunderstorms?
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Thanks Dan- We have been in this house for about 8 years and have never had any problems with the smoke detectors until now. We have central air, so the humidity shouldn't be that high most of the time. Again, fresh batteries tonight, and I will keep you posted.

Because we have the alarm system, we actually have two sets of alarms- not sure which system was the issue last night.
 
   / smoke detectors and thunderstorms? #4  
Nearby static leaders from a thunderstorm can cause air to ionize which would set of a smoke detector. Usually, I will hear one go off just before a really close strike.

Joe
 
   / smoke detectors and thunderstorms? #5  
Yep.. I've heard of ionized gas doing that.. Just look at smoke....

T-storms usually produce negative ions.. etc..

Soundguy
 

Tractor & Equipment Auctions

2012 John Deere 9560RT Track Tractor (A50657)
2012 John Deere...
2017 Chevrolet Trax SUV (A48082)
2017 Chevrolet...
2014 CAT 740B Articulated Dump truck (A50490)
2014 CAT 740B...
2001 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab Pickup Truck (A48081)
2001 Nissan...
2015 Rogator RG1300B Spreader/Sprayer (A50657)
2015 Rogator...
2014 Freightliner Ambulance (A50323)
2014 Freightliner...
 
Top