Thread: The case for smoke alarms, as if we need a case.

Be careful of having more than two smoke alarms in the one area of a house.
Last year we had a neighbour put something in a pan on the gas stove and promptly going to sleep on the lounge.
I was out in the yard and could hear what to me was a faint car alarm noise, an eee aaww that just kept going and going like a car alarm.
After an hour or so I decided to track down where it was coming from as did another neighbour across the road. We eventually worked out which house it was coming from and walked up to find smoke coming out from under the front door which fortunately was unlocked. The whole house was full of white smoke and the flames had just started to lick the kitchen cupboards from the pan on the stove when I turned it off and flung the pan outside. A little while later we found the neighbour unconscious and out to it on the lounge.
The eee aaww sound was two smoke alarms out of sync. It was only a small house and if one had been going by itself we both agreed we would have investigated the sound earlier as it would clearly have been a smoke alarm.

Originally Posted by oka374

Be careful of having more than two smoke alarms in the one area of a house.
Last year we had a neighbour put something in a pan on the gas stove and promptly going to sleep on the lounge.
I was out in the yard and could hear what to me was a faint car alarm noise, an eee aaww that just kept going and going like a car alarm.
After an hour or so I decided to track down where it was coming from as did another neighbour across the road. We eventually worked out which house it was coming from and walked up to find smoke coming out from under the front door which fortunately was unlocked. The whole house was full of white smoke and the flames had just started to lick the kitchen cupboards from the pan on the stove when I turned it off and flung the pan outside. A little while later we found the neighbour unconscious and out to it on the lounge.
The eee aaww sound was two smoke alarms out of sync. It was only a small house and if one had been going by itself we both agreed we would have investigated the sound earlier as it would clearly have been a smoke alarm.

Oh ...... wow, I would never have thought of that. You are of course correct. A distinctive smoke alarm sound will have everyone in hearing distance running towards it (except in a caravan park every single morning until the new 'van owners remove the damn batteries).

seeya,
Shane L.

Even one smoke alarm won’t bring people running

I got home a few weeks ago and heard the neighbours smokie screaming it’s tits off
When I went to investigate the other neighbour said it was going off for at least half an hour and didn’t know what the noise was

I think there more for occupants inside the house

As for taking the battery out all houses now days need hard wired ones

I’ll only install hard wired alarms with the rechargeable lithium battery

Less callbacks due to dud battery and for $50-60 more that’s the price of replacing the battery every year for the 10 year life of a smokie

Gav

as a firefighter, the number of housefires i've attended where a small fire has started and a working smoke alarm has alerted someone (expecally when sleeping) and they were able to take action and prevent a bigger fire is amazing. i rate smoke alarms up there with seatbelts when it comes to saving lives.

It must **** my neighbours off to the point where they ignore it.

2 things set off our kitchen alarm very regularly.

I like dark toast ,ok black , as the toast pops up , so the alarm goes off.

The oven.....when using the oven sometimes you need to open it to do something to your cooking.....wheeee , off goes the alarm again.

My dog loves it and goes for a sprint across the lawn waiting for it to stop , which we do by flicking a tea towel in the general direction.

no one has ever investigated it.

On TV here in the U.K. last night was a program about smoke detectors and a problem they have just discovered. Seems the sound is at the wrong level/frequency to wake sleeping kids. Something to be aware of.

Originally Posted by ramblingboy42

It must **** my neighbours off to the point where they ignore it.

2 things set off our kitchen alarm very regularly.

I like dark toast ,ok black , as the toast pops up , so the alarm goes off.

The oven.....when using the oven sometimes you need to open it to do something to your cooking.....wheeee , off goes the alarm again.

My dog loves it and goes for a sprint across the lawn waiting for it to stop , which we do by flicking a tea towel in the general direction.

no one has ever investigated it.

Had the same problem sans black toast.

So what you really should have is a Heat Sensitive Alarm for that location?

3002-011 THERMAL HEAT ALARM WITH 10 YEAR LITHIUM BATTERY

I reckon my 'er indoors used our olde smoke alarm as a cooking timer.


The one that is installed now in the kitchen is a Heat Alarm with a 10 year life Lithium battery, with a hard wired one for the bedroom end.

NB. BTW, I assume you realise that charred toast is apparently Carcinogenic as is burnt meat at a barbecue etc?


Peace reigns at last.

PS. This thread reminded me that I hadn't tested it for nearly a year so did. Glad to report all ok.