Nuisance smoke alarms

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Ponchik

Ponchik

Senior Member
Location
CA
Occupation
Electronologist
Anyone have any luck repairing/finding the issue/ solving the issue with nuisance smoke alarms that go off early morning hours?

Thanks.
 
The device initiating the alarm will have an indicator light. You need to have the occupants find out which device it is. You can try vacuuming it or just swap it with a new one and return the problem device as defective.
 
I've had the phenominum on a few newer residences and the best explanation I've read about is increased insect (spiders, etc) activity at night that enter the sensing chamber either that or very fine dust from blown cellulose insulation durring construction infiltrates the chamber due to air currents.
 
Daniel malack said:
I've had some all bugs get in them Also! And they were FireX.

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I know some guys will denounce this, but FireX has a history of nuisance alarms. I personally had the misfortune as well, had to replace all of them with BRK, a brand used by many around here with no issue. In so far not a single false alarm.
 
mbrooke said:
I know some guys will denounce this, but FireX has a history of nuisance alarms. I personally had the misfortune as well, had to replace all of them with BRK, a brand used by many around here with no issue. In so far not a single false alarm.
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I bought one Firex combination alarm about a month ago. With voice annunciatior and all the bells and whistles.
Three weeks later is false alarmed and would not even silence.
Even went off when moved outside, with no detectable smoke.
Back to Big Orange it went.
 
mbrooke said:
I know some guys will denounce this, but FireX has a history of nuisance alarms. I personally had the misfortune as well, had to replace all of them with BRK, a brand used by many around here with no issue. In so far not a single false alarm.
Click to expand...
Have been using FireX for 12 years. Have replaced alot of brks. Both the same as far as trouble.

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mbrooke said:
I know some guys will denounce this, but FireX has a history of nuisance alarms. I personally had the misfortune as well, had to replace all of them with BRK, a brand used by many around here with no issue. In so far not a single false alarm.
Click to expand...
I had false alarm in middle of night just a few days ago - I have BRK's. Vacuuming has always solved the problem. First time this was a problem for me, it kept randomly sounding alarm in middle of night, I found out which one was the "trigger" and pulled it down just to eliminate the random alarms. While I was looking at it on the counter and thinking I would probably be replacing it, a tiny spider crawled out of it - one of those "ah-ha" moments.
 
Similar to KWired's issue, garage door quit working after it had been up all day. LED on photo control was blinking, but couldn't see that I had knocked it out of alignment or anything. The eye is recessed back a little, and didn't notice the large moth that was resting in there.:rant:
 
I do not deny others have nuisance alarms, but it seems like FireX holds the cream of the crop for doing it. Read the reviews for both brands and consumer complaints- that further seals the deal for me.
 
Thank you all for you replies.

It is a KIDDE alarm that I am using.

I guess it needs to go back. It is frustrating not knowing what the real issue is.
 
I can tell you what Harry402or whatever it was - he who has passed away, some knew him as black dog used to always claim was the issue- loose connections in the circuit. Now I do not really believe that, but sure enough, since hearing him stand by it often , I have been twisting the wires first before the wire nut with smoke detectors, and haven't heard of a single issue since trying it some three years now. Before that there were some issues. So maybe there was something to that........
 
macmikeman said:
I can tell you what Harry402or whatever it was - he who has passed away, some knew him as black dog used to always claim was the issue- loose connections in the circuit. Now I do not really believe that, but sure enough, since hearing him stand by it often , I have been twisting the wires first before the wire nut with smoke detectors, and haven't heard of a single issue since trying it some three years now. Before that there were some issues. So maybe there was something to that........
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I know who you are talking about. Thanks for your reply, I know 100% my connections are not the issue.
 
A good trick to know when trouble-shooting smoke detectors that are acting weird is to completely unhook them, take the battery out, and hold the test button for about 30 seconds. It often will reset something goofy going on.
 
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