Mr. Serious
Senior Member
- Location
- Oklahoma, USA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
Another smoke alarm question from me:
I've been using the BRK/First Alert 9120B and SC9120B. I've probably installed them in 5 or 6 houses over the last year. But I just found out one recent customer disabled/removed all of them because they were getting nuisance alarms. I think they are picking up the cigarette smoke. This house is a halfway house for homeless people who are trying to get back on their feet. There are usually 5 or 6 people living there (in the house and one outbuilding), and most of them smoke. So does the owner. However, I realize now that I also have a smoke/CO alarm located too close to the gas stove. The hallway is right off the kitchen, and the smoke alarm is right there. Floor plans (this was originally drawn on two pieces of paper):
The homeowner said he thought they were going off just from the heat. The journeyman that finished the job for me had demonstrated that they can go off just from heat. At one point had held a heat source under the alarm and it went off. But I think what actually happened was that the heat source was a lighter and the alarm was detecting chemical changes in the air from the flame.
I told the homeowner that if the alarms go off, the only thing he has to do is push the button on the alarm that instigated it, and that would silence them temporarily. He asked, "but how do you know which one that is?" and I didn't have a good answer for that.
Is there a different brand or type of alarm I can get that would be less susceptible to cigarette smoke? Or do you think the main problem is that one or more of the detectors are located too close to the stove?
I've been using the BRK/First Alert 9120B and SC9120B. I've probably installed them in 5 or 6 houses over the last year. But I just found out one recent customer disabled/removed all of them because they were getting nuisance alarms. I think they are picking up the cigarette smoke. This house is a halfway house for homeless people who are trying to get back on their feet. There are usually 5 or 6 people living there (in the house and one outbuilding), and most of them smoke. So does the owner. However, I realize now that I also have a smoke/CO alarm located too close to the gas stove. The hallway is right off the kitchen, and the smoke alarm is right there. Floor plans (this was originally drawn on two pieces of paper):
The homeowner said he thought they were going off just from the heat. The journeyman that finished the job for me had demonstrated that they can go off just from heat. At one point had held a heat source under the alarm and it went off. But I think what actually happened was that the heat source was a lighter and the alarm was detecting chemical changes in the air from the flame.
I told the homeowner that if the alarms go off, the only thing he has to do is push the button on the alarm that instigated it, and that would silence them temporarily. He asked, "but how do you know which one that is?" and I didn't have a good answer for that.
Is there a different brand or type of alarm I can get that would be less susceptible to cigarette smoke? Or do you think the main problem is that one or more of the detectors are located too close to the stove?
