Kidee 0910 Smoke Alarm

[Robert11]

Hello:

This relates to a question i posted a while back, but was hoping someone might have any new thoughts on this, or perhaps someone new might.

I had installed a model 0910 Kidde smoke alarm.

This is supposedly the latest and greatest ionization model, and also has the sealed, 10 year Li-Ion battery.

The unit is on the ceiling in an upstairs hallway, and from everything I can tell, this is a dry, and most normal location. No undue dust, temp., odors, etc.

Anyway, the unit would give 3 to 4 chirps every day or two, at totally random times. No correlation with time of day, meal cooking, etc. Truly random.

Just 3-4 chirps, then nothing until next time, 24 to 48 hrs later.

Called Kidde, and they were nice enought to send me a new unit. They had absolutely no idea what the 3-4 chirps might mean, or why.

The new unit is doing the same behavior.

I guess I will just find a different brand to put up, but am wondering why, with two units, what might be happening.

- Any service history or recalls with the model 0910 ?

- Any ideas on ?

Thanks, Bob

[mm]

I would leave two of them up, one of the Kiddees and maybe the other brand you will buy. One should really always have two different models, maybe ionization and photowhatever. But in your case, maybe 3 of them, i, p, and one of the kiddes.

I have no idea about model, but I'll tell you a story my neighbor's neighbor told me, after the first guy had a fire in his kitchen.

I was told that their smoke alarm kept beeping, I have no idea how often or how big or little the beeps were, except that it was tolerable for a while. Then they removed it have it repaired (which sounds unblievable since I don't know anyone who repairs these things, unless they mean they sent it back to the manufacturer) and while they had none, a fire broke out in the analog clock of the stove.

The conclusion was, and I concur, that the motor had been burning a teeny bit for weeks or months, however long the smoke alarm was beeping, and the clock finally burst into flames. That the smoke detector worked all along.

I had the same smoke detector at the time, and it never gave a little beep. When I made enough smoke in the kitchen, it blared.

And Kidde themselves told you that they don't know what the chirps mean, although it was customer service I guess, and not one of the guys who designed or tested it. One woudl think all that info is the same in both places, but you never know. Hmmm. I sort of doubt it.

Maybe you could test the alarm if you could generate just the smallest bit of smoke. I'm not sure you can do that. When I use a kitchen map to test my smoke alarm, and I hold it about 6 inches from the alarm, it doesn't go off right away, but when it does after maybe 5 seconds, it is full blast. If it went off quicker, I would hold the match further away, but I'm impatient. Maybe you can hold it two feet away and wait for 20 seconds. That should give only a tiny bit of smoke, unless the wind is straight towards the alarm.

[Milhouse Van Houten]

That is unnecessary. Robert was given the correct answer over on ASA. He has a monitored alarm that he did DIY style. His saga spans well over a year, why he continues to post nonsense when he has all the information, I don't know.

Batt. smokes cost only $10 to replace. They would pay more in shipping to fix, plus residential units need to be replaced every 10 years.

There is "smoke in a can" for that purpose. I buy it from my wholesaler. Here is the link to retail:

[mm]

Which part of my paragraph is unnecessary, I can't tell? Having both an ionization alarm and a photosensitive one seems like a good idea to me. I've read that one is better for fast burning fires, and the other better for smouldering ones.

Although I think they were 20 or more at the time, you may well still be right. But there are people who would do it anyway. Partly because some people are compulsive and partly because they don't want to hunt for an alarm that will clip into the box in the ceiling. I don't think at the time there was much pushing of the notion that they should be replaced every ten years.

OTOH, it's also possible they took it out when it started to beep and weren't trying to replace it at all, becuase they concluded there was no fire. Then they didnt' want to admit how negligent they were to not replace it.

I should have said that the whole kitchen was burnt out, plus some smoke or water damage to other parts of the house. Even though it is bad for the spices, I keep a spice rack above the rear part of my stove including the clock, but most of my neighbors have nothing until the cabints a foot above. The clock still set things afire.

Thanks I may buy that some day. The smaller items on the buy-now page are darn cheap, although they won't say how much shipping is unless I sign in, and I won't do that.

Looking at the page, it seems that this is more for general testing of alarms than it is for testing with a minimum amount of smoke, such as a barely smouldering clock.

It might be tedious for a pro to keep using matches, but why would it be a problem for a home owner with only 1 or 2 detectors to test?

Wouldn't using a wooden kitchen match (the two inch ones) be an adequate test? They sell 3 boxes for a couple dollars and they have many other uses too.

[Apu Nahasapeemapetilon]

Smoldering fires are the most common in a residential situation. A photoelectric detector is ideal for detection in this situation. Ion smokes will false all the time whenever the wife burns something on the stove. Ion smokes are used for fast starting fires, like a electrical motor shorting out.

"Do dwelling smoke alarms need to be replaced every 10 years? Does this apply to commercial system powered detectors?"

Section 8-3.5 of NFPA 72 now requires all single-station and multiple-station smoke alarms to be replaced every ten years. This is because buildup of grease and dust, insect infestations, and normal failure rates dictate replacement. This requirement does not apply to system powered smoke detectors that are commonly found in commercial/industrial establishments because they are sensitivity tested to the requirements of Chapter 7 of NFPA 72.

No. If the directions are followed it meets requirements of NFPA 72. Match testing and holding cigarettes are not acceptable testing methods.

Please do not offer advice about fire protection if you are just "guessing". This is serious stuff. Someone may take your advice and die.

[GROUP MODERATOR]

No, nice guess but testing that way leaves a film on the sensing chamber that decreases sensitivity.

[Apu Nahasapeemapetilon]

No problem mm. You were just bantering.

He got an answer in another NG.

[GROUP MODERATOR]

having a hard time pronouncing it but, niiiice.

[GROUP MODERATOR]

true, wonder if HD has anything like it?

[Just Joshin]

What was the response to calling them a second time about the replacement?

tom @