Scary stuff

[Jack o' Diamonds]

I'm impressed that you would know about the 3 ft min distance. I had to educate a lot of contractors & engineers on that because as of the time I retired it wasn't actually addressed in the building code. The only way to find it was that the building code said all smoke alarms would also confirm to the National Fire Protection Association code which still didn't directly address it but said smoke alarms would be installed per manufacturers specifications which addressed the minimum distance from vents.

That said, if I remember right and I could be wrong but most manufacturers specs only mention distance from return air vents, not supply vents. Right or wrong I am still impressed.

I designed, installed and maintained fire and security systems for 35 Years....

 

[Gator515151]

Did you know you are supposed to replace the alarms every 10 years?

My alarms are less than 5 years old. I built my house back in the 80s when you were only required to have an alarm in the hallway that serves each Bedroom. New code says one in each BR and one in each hallway interconnected so I upgraded a few years ago. It was the one outside the Master Br that tripped the system. I'm pretty much convinced it was the heat coming on that tripped it.

It still bugs the crap out of me that I slept through all that though.

 

[Gator515151]

I designed, installed and maintained fire and security systems for 35 Years....

So you're the real expert here. I was only a building inspector for 25 years and a General Contractor for 10 years before that.
Like I said earlier I could be wrong about the only return air vent part of that but I don't think so. I always assumed the reason they only specified return air was because they didn't want that vent directing smoke away from the detector.

 

[Jack o' Diamonds]

Did you know you are supposed to replace the alarms every 10 years?

Actually only ionization type detectors.. Photoelectrics can be cleaned. The americium in ionization types degrades over time and goes out of spec...

Edit: Most home installed are ionization types. Detectors installed on professionally installed fire alarm are usually photoelectric and can be disassembled and cleaned. Also cost a lot more..

 

[Jack o' Diamonds]

So you're the real expert here. I was only a building inspector for 25 years and a General Contractor for 10 years before that.
Like I said earlier I could be wrong about the only return air vent part of that but I don't think so. I always assumed the reason they only specified return air was because they didn't want that vent directing smoke away from the detector.

Supply vents tend to blow dust and dirt into detectors making them too sensitive. Lots of false alarms.

 

[Gator515151]

Supply vents tend to blow dust and dirt into detectors making them too sensitive. Lots of false alarms.

Yup that is what I suspect happened here. It happened once before a couple of years ago. I'm not moving it though I can deal with a false alarm every couple of years LOL.

 

[Jack o' Diamonds]

Yup that is what I suspect happened here. It happened once before a couple of years ago. I'm not moving it though I can deal with a false alarm every couple of years LOL.

As long as its not on a monitored system.. False alarms can get expensive if you live in a jurisdiction that fines for them..

 

[Gator515151]

LOL no it is not monitored, if it was I imagine the fire department would have had to bust down the front door to wake me up. Probably a good thing it's not.

 

[CDGator]

Actually only ionization type detectors.. Photoelectrics can be cleaned. The americium in ionization types degrades over time and goes out of spec...

Edit: Most home installed are ionization types. Detectors installed on professionally installed fire alarm are usually photoelectric and can be disassembled and cleaned. Also cost a lot more..

I have no idea. Ours were installed by the alarm company. Guess I need to take one down and look at the model and find out what kind? They are 15 years ago so at the very least, they need to be cleaned I guess.

 

[Gator515151]

Supply vents tend to blow dust and dirt into detectors making them too sensitive. Lots of false alarms.

Oh crap I just pulled out the manual for my smoke alarms from my filing cabinet you are correct, forced air supply ducts are listed.

Thinking back to my inspecting days I can remember making several contractors move them away from return air ducts but don't remember ever making someone move them away from a supply duct. Wonder how many people I killed over the years? Oh well I am retired now, it don't matter.

 

[itsgr82bag8r]

Oh crap I just pulled out the manual for my smoke alarms from my filing cabinet you are correct, forced air supply ducts are listed.

Thinking back to my inspecting days I can remember making several contractors move them away from return air ducts but don't remember ever making someone move them away from a supply duct. Wonder how many people I killed over the years? Oh well I am retired now, it don't matter.

Return ducts shouldn’t be the same issue as a supply. At worse, you actually pull smoke towards the sensor potentially resulting in an alarm slightly earlier than normal. Those few extra moments might have actually saved someone.

You’re welcome! ;)

 

[CDGator]

Whoever installed my dad’s smoke alarm in the kitchen did so right above the stove/oven so the slightest amount burnt food sets it off every time.

 

[Nalt]

Did you know you are supposed to replace the alarms every 10 years?

I knew that. Just this past summer we replaced our 19 y/o alarms... Our's aren't integrated into a system though. They are the cheap ones from WalMarks or The homeDepot.

 

[Jack o' Diamonds]

Whoever installed my dad’s smoke alarm in the kitchen did so right above the stove/oven so the slightest amount burnt food sets it off every time.

Anyone who places a smoke detector in or even near a kitchen is stupid beyond belief.. Simple steam from boiling water will set them off...

 

[Gator515151]

I knew that. Just this past summer we replaced our 19 y/o alarms... Our's aren't integrated into a system though. They are the cheap ones from WalMarks or The homeDepot.

I have no idea if they are trustworthy or not because they came out after I retired but some companies are making wireless (bluetooth) interconnected detectors now.

 

[Gator By Marriage]

I designed, installed and maintained fire and security systems for 35 Years....

Maybe you can answer this question then: Why is it that the alert that goes off when the battery needs to be replaced only goes off between 1am and 5am?

 

[CDGator]

Maybe you can answer this question then: Why is it that the alert that goes off when the battery needs to be replaced only goes off between 1am and 5am?

Following

 

[Jack o' Diamonds]

Maybe you can answer this question then: Why is it that the alert that goes off when the battery needs to be replaced only goes off between 1am and 5am?

Manufacturers design....;););)

 

[CDGator]

Manufacturers design....;););)

Let me guess, it's a "feature" since most people are home during those hours.