Testing Smoke Alarms

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bphgravity

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In order to facilitate the testing of smoke alarms, I have engineered together a stick of SCH 80 RNC with a pencil taped to the end, eraser end up. This allows me to reach most smoke alarms.

I would like to put together something a little more sophisticated and looking for ideas.

Is there something pre-manufactured for this purpose?
 
bphgravity said:
In order to facilitate the testing of smoke alarms Is there something pre-manufactured for this purpose?
Click to expand...
Yes my Mom and Dad made one 52 years ago. :) My boss calls me his walking step ladder, sends me to check them and change all the lights in the offices because I can reach them!



Don't get mad I just needed some fun, been a bad day.
 
bphgravity said:
In order to facilitate the testing of smoke alarms, I have engineered together a stick of SCH 80 RNC with a pencil taped to the end, eraser end up. This allows me to reach most smoke alarms.

I would like to put together something a little more sophisticated and looking for ideas.

Is there something pre-manufactured for this purpose?
Click to expand...




I've only seen them for smoking, not testing w/ the button.

Golf ball retrievers are expandable to about 15ft. or so and lock in. I imagine with some creativity you could fashion something on the end.

I would give you mine, but I use it too much. :)
 
I use a collapsable pointer:

01-335.jpg


If looks like a ball point pen when it's not in use.

http://www.nationalavsupply.com/Product.aspx?DeptID=6&ClassID=60&SubClassID=254&ProdID=559

I've had several for more years than I care to count. You used to be able to buy them in any office supply store, but everyone uses laser pointers these days.
 
bphgravity said:
Is there something pre-manufactured for this purpose?
Click to expand...

I can make them for you....and bill you accordingly :D

Does your system work?
Is your system cost effiecient?

Why fix it if it ain't broke?
 
My inspector uses a pointer like the one my teacher used to use to point at stuff on the chalkboard in first grade. I think his is home-made from a dowel and has a door stop with the rubber tip screwed in the working end.
 
This is a little bit off the subject, on a recent job, the exit & emg. units

could be tested by aiming a red laser at a certian point on the fixture.

It worked every time, this might be a good way to test smoke alarms etc.

no spraying,no ladders,no covers falling off!!!
 
benaround said:
This is a little bit off the subject, on a recent job, the exit & emg. units

could be tested by aiming a red laser at a certian point on the fixture.

It worked every time, this might be a good way to test smoke alarms etc.

no spraying,no ladders,no covers falling off!!!
Click to expand...

Yeah, I notice that some smokes can be tested by holding down any key on a television remote and pointing the remote at the smoke detector. It will take a while before manufacturers get on board with that or some other idea, and by then we'll have forgotten all the neat ways to test certain brands by means other than the test button or canned smoke.
 
In my opinion most of the test buttons found on smokes don't really test the smoke detector. They use a multipart chip with one part looking at the smoke sensor and the other part looking at the test button. They assume that if one part works the other does too. I would rather see canned smoke used for the testing of any smoke that operates this way. On some of the older photo electric smokes, the button actually moved something into the light path in the detector and you got an actual test of the device.
Don
 
Thanks for all the comments.

I just knew Don was going to make a post indicating the fallacy of testing smoke alarms with the test button feature. Unforunately, based on needed efficiency and convienece of inspection, smoke tests are not practical.

However, I do believe our firesafety inspectors (Fire Marshals) perform these tests at certain occupancies. I'm just looking for something easy to use at single family homes.

I never thought to try a tape measure - I will give that a try.
 
Bryan,
It is not easy to make a real test for the ionization smokes, but I just don't buy into the idea that if the one half of the chip that you test works, that automatically means that the other half and the detector itself is functional. The fire alarm company that does the yearly checks on the system that is installed in the plant that I normally work at does use canned smoke for the testing, but even that isn't a true test as you don't have good control on the smoke density and the obscurity level. Even though you can?t verify the obscurity level with the canned smoke, I think it is a better test than the button.
[FONT=&quot] I have been waiting for them to come out and test the new detectors that we recently installed in the MCC rooms. There is so much conduit below the detectors that you can?t even see the blinking light on most of them. There is no way to access the button from the floor let alone get a canned smoke up there. The area between the ceiling and the conduit is so tight that I had to take everything out of my pockets and take my belt off to fit in some of the areas and I only weigh 145. Normally my guys do most of the installation work, but they wouldn't fit!
Don
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Bryan, the houses that I inspect are typically very large and very nice, so this method seldom works for me, but...a freind of mine looks for a telescoping shower curtain rod in the house and uses it, if the house has one.
 
Most of the NICE houses around here won't have shower curtains. They have walk-in showers with no doors. How about starting a fire in the fireplace and closing the flue??
 
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