Smoke Detectors

[Firehawk409]

I need to get them for our house as it didn't have any when we bought it. I read a thread on another forum about getting one with the ionization/photoelectric combined. Then i started reading about the ones that combine smoke with carbon monoxide and it seems it does the same as the ion/photo but adds the CO as well. Obviously you don't know if these work great until something bad happens. Was more hoping someone here has some sort of background in this.


Oh and I would like it to talk and let out a sound. Supposedly younger kids respond to loud voices faster then an alarm sound.

 

[wkcars]

I just replaced 3 in my house a few months ago because the old ones expired with these, the house was already wired for them so it was just changing out the backing plates and plugging and twisting the new ones on. They make battery only versions and also other brands have similar.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00032N...;pf_rd_i=507846

 

[Firehawk409]

Yeah I would need just the battery. Though i was reading that putting a CO detector up top is not the best spot for it. Needs to be closer to the floor.

 

[SaturnIonVue]

You might want to consider putting a smoke alarm up in your attic or basement spaces especially if any heating units are located there, or if you store boxes and things in either location. Also, since most electric wires run in the attic an alarm there can give quicker smoke detection than without if a wire should shortout or a breaker/fuse should fail to protect. Just a thought.

 

[crazyoildude]

i agree saturn smoke alarms can really save lives

 

[wkcars]

Alarm by the kitchen, alarm outside each room or hallway of multiple rooms, alarm by the furnace/water heater/appliances like clothes dryer, pretty much wherever a fire is most likely to start, and the garage is also optional. Most would recommend wiring the alarms together so if one goes off, they all go off, could give you extra time to get out and also if the fire burns one alarm the others would still be going, but if you don't or can't wire the alarms, working battery only alarms are better than nothing at all.

 

[MNgopher]

Can't comment on the talking units. Haven't had any or tried them.

Our home (Two story+full basement) has 6 smoke detectors to meet building code. One on each floor in the main hallway area and one in each bedroom. Current code in this area is hardwired, interconnected, with battery backup.

In addition, CO detectors are now also mandatory, with a minimum of one per floor and one within 10 feet of the doorway of each bedroom. I went with the combination CO and Smoke detector for three units (each main hallway unit) and the bedrooms are smoke only. We also have another plug in/battery backup CO detector I can move if we're having issues with one of the units and it has a readout of CO ppm.

I used BRK, as it offered the interconnect that would work with the combo units and the room units all in one system. The smokes have a 10 year lifespan and the combo units are 5 years. Of the three combo units we put in, I got three and 1/2 years out of two of them before they failed, the other is going on 4 1/2 years now.

The number and amount code is requiring is starting to seem high. The next push is for sprinkler systems to be mandatory in new construction. Good luck with the cost/benefit on that at the single family residential level...

 

[buickman50401]

Originally Posted By: MNgopher

The number and amount code is requiring is starting to seem high. The next push is for sprinkler systems to be mandatory in new construction. Good luck with the cost/benefit on that at the single family residential level...


Home sprinkler systems are ludicrous. The cost, the (occasional maintenance) and the fact that sprinklers aren't designed to save lives they are for protecting property (and mostly adjacent properties). By the time the sprinklers kick in even with the residential ones that kick in at a lower temp you're probably already burning to death or dead from smoke inhalation.

Leave it to California to have spearheaded this nonsense.

 

[Al]

Originally Posted By: Firehawk409
Yeah I would need just the battery. Though i was reading that putting a CO detector up top is not the best spot for it. Needs to be closer to the floor.

CO is lighter than air....so.

http://www.homesafe.com/coalert/detect.htm

 

[Firehawk409]

It's not THAT much lighter, but I see your point.

I just want to set this up right. I dont want to buy a bunch of detectors and just stick them everywhere. Would the fire dept be a good place to start? I actually have one down the block from me. I wonder if the can give me some pointers or assist in coming up with a setup for my house.

 

[doitmyself]

Are there any combo units that have both types of fire/smoke detection AND CO? I don't think so.

I went with separate dual fire/smoke detectors and CO only detectors.

I did a quick CO detector placement search and most recommend to "follow the mfg. instructions". I saw recommendations for both up high and at "knee to chest level". Since CO is nearly the same density as air, it seems that it will move "with" the air. So, it might act different in heating season vs. air conditioning or open window season.


I vote for the knee to chest level answer, but look forward to what you learn.

 

[MNgopher]

Short answer that no, I haven't seen a Co/Smoke combo unit with both types of smoke detection. The way around that in my case was the non-combo units are the other type of smoke detection. (Don't remember which was which).

To the OP, I think we may be confusing the issue a bit. Your best bet is to get at least one working unit of some type on each floor. The manual for whatever you purchase will have good instructions on the correct location. That alone is a move light years forward from having no detectors.

 

[Quest]

I bought some photoelectric types to replace all the ionisation types in our house....

My research (don't have all the uRL on my work PC, sorry) indicates that ionisation type may not respond fast enough RE: slow smothering fires, as opposed to photoelectric types. Mind you though: over 90% of the fires in typical residence started with slow, smothering fires...

Also: in addition to having CO detectors in the house (my house and water heating are natural gas), my house also comes with AFIC built into the breake panel to detect wire shorts/current leaks/appliance AC shortage(due to age?) that will trip when it detects >30mA.

According to the most recent housing codes: some fo the residential fires came from wiring faults (typically hidden) or gradual wiring or appliance deterioration that would have presented in a form of a "stray" current draw, mostly in excess of 30mA (AFIC trip limits) or more. I know for a fact that our AFIC saved the house a couple of times due to some seriously old appliances (vintage Hi Fi toob amps, etc.) ...

Q.