Smoke Alarms

[Kate]

OK, I am in disagreement with a friend and would like your feedback.

At 3:00 this morning, a battery was dying in my smoke alarm and started chirping. It makes my little dog shake like crazy. So, I had to go to the garage, get the tall ladder, and remove the battery.

My friend said to just flip the switch at the fuse box and that will take care of the chirping noise until I get up to put in a new battery.

If the battery is there to backup the smoke alarm during a power outage, why would shutting off the switch in the fuse box keep the battery from chirping?

Thanks.

[Molly Brown]

Even smoke alarms need good old fashioned power to chirp and peace on earth and goodwill to all Men is not enough.

[Michael B]

As you already realize, you cannot depend on that friend's advice.

[John Grabowski]

*Shutting off the power can make the smoke alarm chirp because of that. I've replaced a few smoke alarms for customers that even when the battery is removed they continue to chirp because they store a small amount of electricity. Pressing the test button drains any remaining power.

[David Nebenzahl]

On 1/18/2011 4:53 AM John Grabowski spake thus:

Sounds like two levels of backup power: battery, and a supercap for if/when the battery fails. (Or maybe just a good-size electrolytic cap?)

[Tony Hwang]

H, First of all if the alarm unit is more than 7 years old, replacing it is better idea. I just did that, all our units are replaced with dual sensing ones(smoke, flame=temp.) and they are all hard wired in daisy chain with back up batteries. If it is chirping better find out why ASAP.

[Shaun Eli]

Yeah, but with no internal clock how do they know to always start chirping at 3 AM?

[hrhofmann]

Good to hear from you again, how is all your remodeling coming?

[Robert Green]

It just seems that way because that's usually the coldest time of the day. While the battery may have enough "oomph" to keep from chirping during the day, when it gets "cold soaked" at night the voltage drops enough to let the chirping begin. That's why I try to replace detector batteries when DST begins because that's the beginning of winter weather and smoke detector "chirping" season. I can get up to three years on a single 9V battery, but I usually replace them after a year and move the batteries to other devices like remote controls, meters, etc. that wouldn't be life threatening if the battery suddenly dies.

I even keep those batteries if they show more than 7 volts because I snap all the almost dead ones together to make dog trainers. (-: I connect a piece of zip cord to 6 or 7 batteries and leave it where the dogs can chew on the wire. Once they get a mouth zap of 50 volts or so from chewing on the "trainer" they rarely show any interest in any other wires afterwards. There's never enough current flow to do permanent harm, but enough to make sure that they don't go chewing on wires again. It worked on all the dogs we've rescued except for one that liked to chew on AAA batteries, even with the wire trainer experience under her belt.

-- Bobby G.

[Kate]

Thanks. So good to know about the test button.

[Kate]

Hey, hi. My remodeling has all gone as planned, and I am super pleased with it.

I have one inside project left, and I really need to do my homework on that. I have Silestone quartz countertops, and I want to change my kitchen cabinets from bleached oak to a cinnamon oak. Therefore, the only thing I can do due to the type of counter top I have is to get them refaced. I know three families, in towns far away from me, who had this done and they are beautiful.

I live in a small area, so I need to find a quality business who can do this for me.

I hope all is well in your little corner of the world.

And, thanks for asking.