No more chirps in the night

[crwilli]

I feel for you Gary. Our smoke detector is the same, it goes off if we use the self cleaning function of the oven, when we cook bacon, if a piece of toast stays in the toaster for a picosecond too long. It is a PIA but I will love it if it saves our lives. Double edged sword that I am happy bends towards life.

[GaryProtein]

It sounds like you could use an on/off switch too.

We only need it when cooking certain things or cleaning the ovens, then it can be turned back on.

[Antonmb]

Originally Posted by GaryProtein

It sounds like you could use an on/off switch too.

We only need it when cooking certain things or cleaning the ovens, then it can be turned back on.

Gary, is this a kitchen smoke detector or somewhere else in the house? We have smoke detectors in hallways, but only a heat detector in the kitchen, which avoids the false alarms from smokey cooking.

[audio bill]

Originally Posted by GaryProtein

It sounds like you could use an on/off switch too.

We only need it when cooking certain things or cleaning the ovens, then it can be turned back on.

If you're going to use a switch to disable your detectors/alarms I would strongly suggest a timer based disable switch that will then turn it back on in a set period of time. Otherwise there's too great a chance that you might forget to turn it back on!

[Masterlu]

Originally Posted by audio bill

If you're going to use a switch to disable your detectors/alarms I would strongly suggest a timer based disable switch that will then turn it back on in a set period of time. Otherwise there's too great a chance that you might forget to turn it back on!

[mtroo]

Another thing to add to my to do list. Mine are hard wired. Never gone off since we bought this 25 year old house 10 years ago. Maybe they're not working?

[W9TR]

Ok so a couple of things here.

1. Test all smoke detectors annually with a test spray. Especially if you have hardwired detectors. Test spray comes in aerosol cans and costs around $10 for a 3 oz. can.
Also vacuum dirt and more likely cobwebs out from around the detector chamber. Pushing the test button just tests the button and the horn. If you are monitored, have the monitoring contractor come out and do this for you.

2. If cooking smoke is setting off one of your detectors, usually in an adjacent hallway or upstairs in a loft area, switch the offending detector to a photoelectric detector.

There are two types of residential detectors - photoelectric (large particle) and ionization (small particle). The ionization detectors are the most common and also most prone to triggering from cooking smoke.

If your cooking still sets off a photoelectric detector then make sure your range hood is properly vented outside and that you have enough makeup air to handle what the vent hood exhausts. 250 cfm is a good number to shoot for in a vent for a 30" range. More is better but then you are into 8" exhaust runs and that gets hard to retrofit.


Tom

[mtroo]

Originally Posted by W9TR

Ok so a couple of things here.

1. Test all smoke detectors annually with a test spray. Especially if you have hardwired detectors. Test spray comes in aerosol cans and costs around $10 for a 3 oz. can.
Also vacuum dirt and more likely cobwebs out from around the detector chamber. Pushing the test button just tests the button and the horn. If you are monitored, have the monitoring contractor come out and do this for you.

2. If cooking smoke is setting off one of your detectors, usually in an adjacent hallway or upstairs in a loft area, switch the offending detector to a photoelectric detector.

There are two types of residential detectors - photoelectric (large particle) and ionization (small particle). The ionization detectors are the most common and also most prone to triggering from cooking smoke.

If your cooking still sets off a photoelectric detector then make sure your range hood is properly vented outside and that you have enough makeup air to handle what the vent hood exhausts. 250 cfm is a good number to shoot for in a vent for a 30" range. More is better but then you are into 8" exhaust runs and that gets hard to retrofit.


Tom

Thanks for the info. I am going to call the alarm company and have them come service the system including smoke detectors, etc...

[GaryProtein]

Originally Posted by Antonmb

Gary, is this a kitchen smoke detector or somewhere else in the house? We have smoke detectors in hallways, but only a heat detector in the kitchen, which avoids the false alarms from smokey cooking.

The smoke detector is not in the kitchen, its about 30 feet away and one story up. We do have only a heat detector in the kitchen.

Originally Posted by audio bill

If you're going to use a switch to disable your detectors/alarms I would strongly suggest a timer based disable switch that will then turn it back on in a set period of time. Otherwise there's too great a chance that you might forget to turn it back on!

That's actually a good idea.

The first two hours after starting the oven cleaning are the smokiest and nothing else stays smoky for more than an hour or two.

[ehoove]

Lots of good info here.
Thanks,
Jim