Selecting Smoke Detectors

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Mahuska

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fairfield, Iowa, USA
I am wrapping up a remodel and now need to get the new Smoke Detectors. Code in our state says dual sensing in all bedrooms a detector outside of sleeping areas. and or one on each level of the house. I was planning to add CO sensors also. I pre-ran the wire for interconnected detectors and had started looking for an appropriate model(s). Nothing but complaints is what I'm finding especially the interconnected models because of false's and not knowing which is the offending unit. there is a unit that connects wirelessly and will tell you the location of what unit triggered but I have seen many complaints about EMF interference setting that style off. and I have run the wire to interconnect. What are good units/types?
 
Welcome. I havent had any of the problems you mention with lower end smoke/CO detectors. The wiring to interconnect is just 14/3 instead of 14/2 and takes maybe 15 minutes more to hook up the 3rd wire on 6-8 units.
 
We use Kidde/Firex and don't have any issues with them. I have them in my own house. They had big time issues with false alarms and chirping maybe 5 years ago now, but that is long over. I suspect that may be where all the negative reviews are coming from.
 
All the suppliers here sell Kidde and BRK side by side. I use the Kidde myself, but BRK is fine too. Definitely stay away from anything generic, you will regret it. Don't ask how I know.
 
iwire said:
Just to be 'that guy' these are not smoke detectors these are smoke alarms.

Different names, different rules.
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Agreed but, you get the general idea of what the OP is asking in his post.

BTW! Do you ever sleep?:rotflmao:
 
Mahuska said:
I am wrapping up a remodel and now need to get the new Smoke Detectors. Code in our state says dual sensing in all bedrooms a detector outside of sleeping areas. and or one on each level of the house. I was planning to add CO sensors also. I pre-ran the wire for interconnected detectors and had started looking for an appropriate model(s). Nothing but complaints is what I'm finding especially the interconnected models because of false's and not knowing which is the offending unit. there is a unit that connects wirelessly and will tell you the location of what unit triggered but I have seen many complaints about EMF interference setting that style off. and I have run the wire to interconnect. What are good units/types?
Click to expand...

When you say dual sensing, do you mean combination photoelectric and ionization for smoke, or combination smoke and CO?
 
peter d said:
All the suppliers here sell Kidde and BRK side by side. I use the Kidde myself, but BRK is fine too. Definitely stay away from anything generic, you will regret it. Don't ask how I know.
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How do you know?


Gadfly56 brings up a good point, I was assuming they were smoke/CO combos. I'm not sure if the standard Kidde are both photoelectric and ionization.
 
Just checked the Kiddes I use, they are just ionization. They do make a dual detector model though. That's what I would use if we were required to install duals. Looked like they were about $20 each.
 
we use kidde, but recently(last six months) my parents went off randomly have 3 am, my plumbers went off, and my boss's went off. All bought from different stores and installed at different times. i googled it and they had

this problem apparently fixed...
 
whofrankw said:
we use kidde, but recently(last six months) my parents went off randomly have 3 am, my plumbers went off, and my boss's went off. All bought from different stores and installed at different times. i googled it and they had

this problem apparently fixed...
Click to expand...

Was the problem dead batteries? That's usually the problem...
 
whofrankw said:
nope, the smoke detector went off saying, fire..fire..fire.. my parents co/smoke went off saying carbon monoxide carbon monoxide. not sure what the plumbers did but he had recently installed them.
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If the detector is going off saying "carbon monoxide", someone needs to check the place out with a meter the next time that happens. CO alarms don't suffer from the same kinds of false alarm issues that smoke alarms do. You don't want them waking up dead some day.
 
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