What Kind Of Smoke Alarm Do You Have??

[NY_Yankees_Fan]

If you have the wrong kind of smoke detector it can cause you your life. PLEASE read this article about a tragic event in Barre City, VT that killed 4 people. They had a working smoke detector, BUT it did not work! The best kind of smoke detector is a combination photoelectric and ionization.

The Fire That Changed Everything - And What is Being Done - Firehouse.com In the Community

 

[PhilNH5]

Tom,
Thanks for the link. Very informative. We have a mix of both types. I did not know you could buy a combo type.
We run two wood stoves so we try to stay on top of things. We have 5 smoke detectors, 2 CO detectors and 7 fire extinguishers in the house.

THe article was sad but a very good read. Again thanks for posting it.

Phil

 

[LMTC]

Definitely a good reminder. I just found the First Alert dual sensor on amazon for $22, free shipping. We too heat with wood, have a smoke detector in each room (most are ionization), one CO detector, five extinguishers I think. This post reminded me that our one photoelectric died this summer. I read the article on consumerreports and they seemed to think the First Alert and a Kidde dual sensor they named were adequate equipment, so I am off to order a half dozen of the First Alert dual sensors.

My wife and I (and her parents) had tickets to the Beverly Hills Supper Club for May 28, 1977. Chance and happenstance sent us elsewhere and we gave the tickets to my wife's aunt and uncle. They were being seated when Walter Bailey (THE busboy) ran to the stage. All four made it out with minor damage. We have been an obsessively fire-conscious family since. If you're not familiar, read Wikipedia. It was this fire, BTW, that brought to light the dangers of aluminum wiring.

 

[Wayne County Hose]

Wow, that was quite a story. In my house that burned, I don't know which kind we had. We had hard wired /battery back-up in every room with a CO detector. The first firemen on scene told me that every detector was going off, CO included. The noise was so loud they had problems communicating. Funny, they referred to it as "music."

 

[dmccarty]

Does anyone know of a brand of detectors that does not give false alarms? Ours do and its more than a hassle since it always happens at night.

I read up on our brand, can't remember for sure but I think they are from the company in Mebane NC that I don't like. In the 90s a couple of NCSU students had a class project where they had to create a product, come up with a buisiness plan, etc. The company stole their idea down to the product and the pictures on the box. The company lost a lawsuit but I won't knowingly do business with them.

With the brand we do have and the ones I saw in the box stores all of them can have problems with dust and high humidity. To be maintained they need to be vaccumed!

I'm not real impressed with what I have can easily buy in the local stores.

Later,
Dan

 

[NY_Yankees_Fan]

Does anyone know of a brand of detectors that does not give false alarms? Ours do and its more than a hassle since it always happens at night.

I read up on our brand, can't remember for sure but I think they are from the company in Mebane NC that I don't like. In the 90s a couple of NCSU students had a class project where they had to create a product, come up with a buisiness plan, etc. The company stole their idea down to the product and the pictures on the box. The company lost a lawsuit but I won't knowingly do business with them.

With the brand we do have and the ones I saw in the box stores all of them can have problems with dust and high humidity. To be maintained they need to be vaccumed!

I'm not real impressed with what I have can easily buy in the local stores.

Later,
Dan

I have the Kidde PI2000 in my home, about $30 each, 120 volt with battery backup. I have had them for about 18 months, no problems with false alarms, except when the toast burns

 

[dmccarty]

I have the Kidde PI2000 in my home, about $30 each, 120 volt with battery backup. I have had them for about 18 months, no problems with false alarms, except when the toast burns

Dang, just looked it up. Kidde is the company that stole form the NCSU students... I think its the brand that the electrician used in the house and that dont work.

Our have a battery and are hardwired as well.

Funny thing is that did not go off when I dumped smoke from the wood stove. Not much smoke but there is an alarm close to the stove and the smoke/heat moves rapidly to the other side of the house near three more alarms. They only go off between midnight and 2:00am in the morning. My wife's cooking has not set them off either...

Later,
Dan

 

[NY_Yankees_Fan]

Dang, just looked it up. Kidde is the company that stole form the NCSU students... I think its the brand that the electrician used in the house and that dont work.

Our have a battery and are hardwired as well.

Funny thing is that did not go off when I dumped smoke from the wood stove. Not much smoke but there is an alarm close to the stove and the smoke/heat moves rapidly to the other side of the house near three more alarms. They only go off between midnight and 2:00am in the morning. My wife's cooking has not set them off either...

Later,
Dan

Dan,

My guess is u have ionization type of detectors and NOT photoelectric, hence the false alarms at 2 am