Smoke detectors for the elderly

Two fans, both pushing in? I got to put my hands on one, once. The guy wanted to know how to clean the air filters. And asked about put in central AC. I noticed the evaporator, went out and looked. Sure enough, there's the inverted U unit outdoors. I pushed the slider on the stat, and the AC came on. All the money I saved him!

Can't remember the brand. I've heard those are hell to trouble shoot if one of the motors is blowing the wrong direction.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon
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It's just one motor, like in a window AC. The shaft sticks out both ends of the motor. I think I know where one is and I may drop by to see what brand it is.

TDD

Reply to
The Daring Dufas

Agreed. Even when I thought my only choice was to hook a louder, lower frequency sounder to an existing alarm, I was thinking of coupling it with an audio sensor of some kind triggering a relay when it "heard" the alarm sound. Since it was his only smoke detector in the room, I wanted to make sure there was no alteration of the circuit. It's possible to couple the smoke alarm's output via a mic or in induction pickup like an old suction cup telephone tap.

The problem I ran into is that I knew that the unit he needed was $300 and way over budget for a guy who got shown the door at a company he/we helped build when he got sick.

If the choice was a hacked smoke detector he could actually hear, v. one that was code approved that he couldn't hear, I would hack. There were some other options, though, like finding a smoke that closed dry contacts when it sounded and then hooking a louder sounder to that one.

I am not sure what to do now that I've found out he sits in his chair with full cup noise-canceling headphones on, often falling asleep. It's time to step up to a chair shaker. Now here's the "moral" issue. He's already got two smoke detectors now. One he can actually hear with his high frequency hearing loss. While it's not code, buying a third detector and somehow connecting it to a relay to control a bedshaker would mean he was already overprotected. Since he at least meets minimum standards with two, is hacking a third to control something I could attach to his chair that would vibrate it that much of a sin? I've see the little off-center load motors they use to make cellphones vibrate, so there's got to be some "home brewable" or even reasonably priced commercial unit out there.

The real problem is that he definitely won't spend the money for any of the horribly overpriced systems sold commercially. I understand that they mark that stuff up tremendously to avoid getting whittled to nothing by insurance reimbursements, but to him it's real money.

The best technical solution may be a wireless mike with a telephone pickup placed on the alarm. When it sounds, it will be transmitted via the pickup to the wireless mike receiver. Then, I can use Y-cables to combine the signal from the alarm into the headphone feed from his stereo/TV console. I could use a microphone with a very high squelch level to filter out any noise except the detector. Hmmm. I guess the first thing to do is research bed shaker smoke alarms. The fun never stops.

Thanks for your input, Mr. Morgan.

-- Bobby G.

Reply to
Robert Green

I didn't look that closely. But, if you had the wrong blade on one end, you could have a nice wind tunnel, and not much air movement.

I've long ago forgotten where was the one I saw.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Hey, I have a couple of digital cameras, I could take a picture and post it.

TDD

Reply to
The Daring Dufas

You're welcome.

Another option is to use an off-the shelf detector with auxiliary contacts built-in. They are far for common and much less expensive than the unit you're mentioning. You can then trigger any device you want (UL listed for fire or not) to make the appropriate signal tone.

Reply to
G. Morgan

I think there are relays that are intended (UL listed) to be used with some 3-wire smoke alarms (where all alarms go off). The relay would give you auxiliary contacts.

Reply to
bud--

I'd really appreciate th at. There is a web site (image shack dot us) that I tried earlier today. Worked well.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Any recommendations?

Thanks in advance,

-- Bobby G.

Reply to
Robert Green

Any specific items to recommend?

Thanks!

-- Bobby G.

Reply to
Robert Green

From Kiddie:

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way I read the site is if you have smoke alarms and CO detectors wired together to common-alarm, one relay module will alarm only for the smoke detectors and one relay will alarm only for CO detectors.

Some other smoke alarm manufacturers must have similar relays.

Reply to
bud--

Thanks, Bud - I'll look into it.

-- Bobby G.

Reply to
Robert Green

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