Do smoke alarms become more sensitive with age?

My tenant says that the smoke alarm in the hall goes off when she has a shower and that the one in the kitchen goes off when she fries things. The alarms are mains interlinked and about 6 years old, this hasn't been a problem before. She is the sensible type but I don't want to replace them only to find that the problem still exists. I'm busy reading past posts on smoke alarm problems/different types etc but thought that I would post this in the meantime, maybe save some time. Thanks in advance.

Reply to
Rednadnerb
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you didn't tell us which type of alarm they are. But generally no, they don't get touchy

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

Don't know what types but will check.

Reply to
Rednadnerb

Well if anything I've found quite the opposite. I think the ones based on a radioactive isotope lose sensitivity, but not other types. I do not know whether a component in the circuit could drift and make the threshold lower. I guess its possible. Mine has always gone off if I cremate the toast a bit too much, but the main variable seems to be draught, ie, if there is one past the alarm to an open window, for example, then its more likely to go off. Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff

These are both scenarios which will trigger both radioactive and optical smoke detectors.

You generally wouldn't fit one of these in a kitchen, but you would fit a temperature triggered alarm, either an absolute temperature trigger or a rate of temperature rise alarm.

For the shower, this means steam is getting out into the hall. Is there an extractor fan in the shower room and does it work? Excess moisture getting out into the rest of the house on a regular basis might have other effects too, such as mold forming in cold spots.

Also for the kitchen, is there an extractor hood over the hob, and does it work? When were the filters last cleaned or changed? A functioning cooker hood will reduce the amount of air-borne fat when frying, which will reduce chance of smoke detector going off and reduce the grease which forms on all surfaces/decorations.

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

My smoke alarms have always behaved like this.

Too much fat smoke or too much steam set em off

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

hower and that the one in the kitchen goes off when she fries things.

a problem before.

at the problem still exists.

ut thought that I would post this in the meantime, maybe save some time.

You normally have differnt type of alarms for the kitchen. A friend who lives in rented accomedation last week had someone come round to inspect rhey place on taking one of teh alarms down the inspector said i t was "contaminated", he put it back on the cieling and then used a device to test it and it appeared it functioned OK so it was left there and the in spectors left.

You can always ask the fire brigade, soemtime they install them for free to o but I;m not sure who for or hw 'free' it is.

Reply to
whisky-dave

shower and that the one in the kitchen goes off when she fries things.

n a problem before.

that the problem still exists.

but thought that I would post this in the meantime, maybe save some time.

yes, so they're probably battery powered & thus probably ioninsation ones. In which case they're very touchy, and the solution is to move them a bit f urther away from the smoke/steam until they no longer false alarm. This inf o was on the wiki before it got deleted.

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

The OP said "mains"

Reply to
charles

Still seems to get a mention

"Optical smoke detectors [...] may give a false alarm if exposed to steam and should not be located close to poorly ventilated bathroooms"

Reply to
Andy Burns

so that's not mentioning it.

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

No I'd say a smoke alarm that can be triggered by a kitchen is a must. My old granny used to regularly put her tea cosy on the hob without turning it completely off resulting in almost a fire. Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff

But triggered by what in the kitchen ?

So it would almost create smoke would almost smoke trigger the alarm ?

Reply to
whisky-dave

Usually this would be one with some temperature trigger rather than smoke.

What is your issue?

Reply to
Fredxx

So wouldn't it be better to have a heat detector in teh kitchen rather than a smoke detector.

What is the problem of granny putting a tea cosy on the hob ? Surely that is what needs avoiding rather than waiting for the cosy to catch fire and produce smoke so it triggers a smoke detector. If this happened every week wouldn;t it be better finding another solution ?

But don't forget that where you place them is important too.

Reply to
whisky-dave

The optical is more likely to be triggered by steam the ionisation is more likely to be triggered by burning food.

And as we are for once on subject, I ought to tell you that Aico, probably the UK best selling range, are going to stop making ionization smoke detectors next year.

Reply to
ARW

Much as you say that she is the sensible type if this is a problem that only started when she moved in then it is almost certainly user error.

Reply to
ARW

I was there to have a look today and apologies to all, I got it completely wrong. There is only one smoke alarm, it is mains and ionisation and is in the hal lway outside the bathroom. It is 9 years since manufacture and due to be re placed next year. My tenant has been there for 2 years and said that this has only started ha ppening in the last couple of weeks. The alarm goes off when she has a show er with the bathroom door closed and the windows open (could cause a draft I suppose) but stranger still is the fact that the alarm is a long way from the kitchen but is being set off by frying. (There is an extractor hood an d I assume she uses it). My conclusion is that this smoke alarm is hyper sensitive, just suprised th at no one else has come across this. Thanks for your contributions though.

Reply to
Rednadnerb

Probably dust build up. That causes ionisation detectors to become more sensitive/false trigger.

Reply to
ARW

Indeed. I have a heat rise detector in ours.

Mix of ionisation and optical for the other five.

Reply to
Bob Eager

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