Smoke Detector problem

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Dolfan

Senior Member
Hi folks, I hope everybody is well. I have a situation where a customer of mine says that one or more of the eight new smoke detectors that I replaced in here home nearly three years ago, go off briefly in the middle of the night. The problem started about a year ago and she says it is like the alarm sound, not the chirp for battery replacement. I told here that the only thing I could do is replace them all over again with another brand. What could cause this to happen? Thanks
 

Rewire

Senior Member
Are any close to air registers that might blow dust on them? Kids took up smoking ? We found a bad smoke head by pushing the test button on each one the bad one didn't test. I would change half the heads and see if it corrted the problem if not use those heads to replace the other half. She only buys fouer heads that way.
 

GoldDigger

Moderator
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Location
Placerville, CA, USA
Occupation
Retired PV System Designer
Hi folks, I hope everybody is well. I have a situation where a customer of mine says that one or more of the eight new smoke detectors that I replaced in here home nearly three years ago, go off briefly in the middle of the night. The problem started about a year ago and she says it is like the alarm sound, not the chirp for battery replacement. I told here that the only thing I could do is replace them all over again with another brand. What could cause this to happen? Thanks

Is the system one where you can tell which of the heads triggered the alarm? Or is the duration too short for that to be done?
 

Dolfan

Senior Member
Are any close to air registers that might blow dust on them? Kids took up smoking ? We found a bad smoke head by pushing the test button on each one the bad one didn't test. I would change half the heads and see if it corrted the problem if not use those heads to replace the other half. She only buys fouer heads that way.
.

That's a good idea, but that means I may go back twice...and charge twice. I think the only thing to tell her is, replace them all with a different brand. What kind of smokes do you guys use?

By the way, I saw on the news the other night where they may have a new type of detector that is voice recorded. It seems that kids don't wake up to regular alarms and they are thinking that an alarm with the parents voice my trigger a response from a child who is sleeping.
 

goldstar

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
By any chance did you use Firex smoke alarms ? I vaguely remember them having this problem several years ago with their gear. Don't remember what the problem was. I replaced the ones I had on the job with a different brand.
 

Strathead

Senior Member
Location
Ocala, Florida, USA
Occupation
Electrician/Estimator/Project Manager/Superintendent
Are these smoke detectors tied together with the orange wire? If so, I would check with the manufacturer, because I don't think it could be an alarm causing the problem, otherwise they would all go off. If it was still an alarm condition, the manufacturer should be able to tell you what could cause it, since that would be a rather unique situation.
 
Yea if they are interconnected I would determine which one is triggering the alarm. I've used compress air to blow them out because dust sometimes will cause this issue. Also if any are located in a humid environment (near a bathroom door) this can cause them to have issues as well.
I use Kidde smoke alarms. The model i12080 can handle 95% humidity, so if I have to replace a unit near a bathroom this works well.
 

bobbymari

Senior Member
Location
los angeles ca
doing work with prop mgmnt co's we swap tons of these. brk and kiddie brands seem to do well , fingers crossed. go photo electric if u are anywhere near kitchens
 

GUNNING

Senior Member
That Look

That Look

I have had this happen at my house. I figured it was a bad battery. I change out the batteries and it goes away. No more false alarms and the boss waking up with "that look".:happysad:
 

nhfire77

Senior Member
Location
NH
Any chance you missed one old detector? Could be installed in a blind space even?

More than once I've found a smoke buried in a basement drop ceiling or one hiding in a corner of the house overlooked?
 

GUNNING

Senior Member
It was WHERE?? oh right, I forgot, my mom got us a new one last week.

It was WHERE?? oh right, I forgot, my mom got us a new one last week.

I spent 4 hours finding one in the bottom of a kitchen trash can on a Sunday morning and another time behind some books in a very tall book case. The intermittent sharp BINK! wont last long enough to find them by their sound. :happyno:
 
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