Looking for a smoke detector...

[John E]

What I was saying is that the wireless alarm smoke detectors are solely batter powered. But they were called low power wireless transmission detectors in NFPA 70 back then. They have a newer name now. The point is that they communicated with the entire system. If one went out, the system went into trouble. When one detected smoke, the siren/ speakers sounded throughout the house. It's been years since I put them in, so not sure what battery they use these days. Regardless, they communicate with a control panel that shows a trouble if any detector gets low on battery, and tells you which one it is. The control panel can connect to central stationvia cellular dialing, and that is the 2nd biggest benefit. I've been installing alarms as a small part of my electircal business since 1993. I've done countless walk-throughs for new construction where the buyers declined an alarm system because they have a dog. I always asked if the dog can dial 911? And I'm talking a $1000 hard wired system back then. I wasn't making much and they weren't spending much, IMO. And the monitoring was $20/ month. It cost me around $11. Peanuts.....

 

[Green Maned Lion]

My 14 year old Honeywell alarm system has a heat and smoke detector, as well as motion sensors and door/window circuits.
NOTHING is wired to the grid power except the brain... All the alarm wiring is NEW low-voltage wire installed by our alarm technicians.
They also installed CAT6 Ethernet to several rooms, for my home networking.

That might be possible, but I'm reluctant to do even that, given lathe and plaster, and the number of people who are not at all versed in doing that kind of work.

 

[John E]

That might be possible, but I'm reluctant to do even that, given lathe and plaster, and the number of people who are not at all versed in doing that kind of work.

I've fished/ snaked in wiring in hundreds of lathe/ plaster homes. It is a skill that not many have these days. I'm approaching 60 and my father tought me around 40 years ago.

But that isn't the point. A high end alarm only needs a few hard-wired components. This isn't that difficult, and if they **** antying up, it's just horse-hair plaster and lathe, not much of a repair. Get the goods. Get the best system you can, and throw that 15 year old google pos away.

And check with your insurance company. The average discount for a central station monitored burg/ fire system is 10% On a house of your age, it may be more.

But this isn't about ROI. No way I'd sleep in a new house or a 100 year old house without smoke and CO detectors. Not for a night. But then again, I work in code enforcement and saw the after-effects of CO poisoning when a family died because the 100 year old chimney leaked gas buirner combustion to the living space, (Oh, and the local ER sent them home telling them that the feelings they had were a virus...this is first hand experience) I'm not saying that is your case, but drop a few hundred, pay the monthly fee, sleep well, and wake up to fight another day here.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

But this isn't about ROI. No way I'd sleep in a new house or a 100 year old house without smoke and CO detectors. Not for a night. But then again, I work in code enforcement and saw the after-effects of CO poisoning when a family died because the 100 year old chimney leaked gas buirner combustion to the living space, (Oh, and the local ER sent them home telling them that the feelings they had were a virus...this is first hand experience) I'm not saying that is your case, but drop a few hundred, pay the monthly fee, sleep well, and wake up to fight another day here.

I got oil fired, so I'm far less worried about chimney leaks. I'd be up and choking on the exhaust smoke long before the CO level was a problem.

I already have some very high end stand alone CO detectors, including one in the kitchen that alarms once CO reaches 80ppm. Not two hours after; immediately. It also displays the CO level starting at 10ppm, and can measure it lower than that.

My main concern is smoke detection, not CO detection. Not because I don't worry about CO; I do... its just that is already covered by separate devices because my stove itself is 100 years old. The oven absolutely burns dirty when the gas is fully on. I hadn't considered it a problem before the Nest told me it was one, but now I'm hyper cognisant of it.

 

[John E]

I got oil fired, so I'm far less worried about chimney leaks. I'd be up and choking on the exhaust smoke long before the CO level was a problem.

I already have some very high end stand alone CO detectors, including one in the kitchen that alarms once CO reaches 80ppm. Not two hours after; immediately. It also displays the CO level starting at 10ppm, and can measure it lower than that.

My main concern is smoke detection, not CO detection. Not because I don't worry about CO; I do... its just that is already covered by separate devices because my stove itself is 100 years old. The oven absolutely burns dirty when the gas is fully on. I hadn't considered it a problem before the Nest told me it was one, but now I'm hyper cognisant of it.

Gas burns dirty. Stove is 100 years old. I've have the robust co detection that you have and I''d also have a gas (NG or Propane) detector in addition. And I'd have monitored smoke detectors. Something like this, that is part of a system: https://www.jmac.com/DSC_WS4916_p/T...Q3EO2LBOm9jzDEKQZEadvnBqY2tA36nxoCHO0QAvD_BwE

And you should know that when an oil fired system malfunctions, you won't always smell the misfire. In addition to the one example I gave, I have a friend who's family was saved by a central station alarm when their oil burner malfunctioned. Emergency response arrived, and the family was a little ditzy and didn't realize anything was wrong.

Don't go to sleep without some smoke alarm. I realize you are looking to replace your current alarm(s) so I don't think you are not protected

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Gas burns dirty. Stove is 100 years old. I've have the robust co detection that you have and I''d also have a gas (NG or Propane) detector in addition. And I'd have monitored smoke detectors. Something like this, that is part of a system: https://www.jmac.com/DSC_WS4916_p/T...Q3EO2LBOm9jzDEKQZEadvnBqY2tA36nxoCHO0QAvD_BwE

I already have a gas detector, too. I didn't get the stove with the house, I bought it used and replaced a late 90s or early 2000s unit with it. I'm aware of most of the dangers with it; match lighting ovens can be fun.

And you should know that when an oil fired system malfunctions, you won't always smell the misfire. In addition to the one example I gave, I have a friend who's family was saved by a central station alarm when their oil burner malfunctioned. Emergency response arrived, and the family was a little ditzy and didn't realize anything was wrong.

I will keep that mind, for sure

Don't go to sleep without some smoke alarm. I realize you are looking to replace your current alarm(s) so I don't think you are not protected

I'm not going to, believe me. The thing is, I got an email from Nest telling me the thing is going to expire... in September. While I'm not planning on putting it off that long, if I did have no detector, I'd go out to my local home desperate, pick up a $10 unit or whatever the cheap stuff costs, and then figure out what I was going to do.

I lost a store to a fire; I don't play around with that stuff.

 

[John E]

I wasn't aware of your loss to fire. I'm sorry to hear that.

The 10 year expriration doesn't meant that "they won't work". The technology is such that they won't activate to the tolerance to which they were designed and tested. In some detectors *such as CO's) they chirp at end of life cycle. I've replaced a number of system-type CO detectors. Quite a pain when it isn't my plan, I'd lose a few hours to replace detectors at cost, when me or my crew would otherwise have been workingon new construction.

 

[autostaretx]

; match lighting ovens can be fun.

Ahhh... memories...

Light wooden match, rest on oven shelf, close oven door, turn gas knob on.

When the oven door self-opens with a resounding crash, the oven is lit.
Insert items to be cooked.

--dick

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Ahhh... memories...

Light wooden match, rest on oven shelf, close oven door, turn gas knob on.

When the oven door self-opens with a resounding crash, the oven is lit.
Insert items to be cooked.

--dick

My wife prefers to use a long reach butane lighter. I do remember the time she singed some hair, though.

 

[Oshea Oshay]

I have a house full of NEST including one in the van. I didn't realize they are no longer supporting them. Mine just did a sound check today so seem to still be on line...

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I have a house full of NEST including one in the van. I didn't realize they are no longer supporting them. Mine just did a sound check today so seem to still be on line...

Mine is almost 10, so expiring. But they aren’t making more.

 

[elemental]

I have a house full of NEST including one in the van. I didn't realize they are no longer supporting them. Mine just did a sound check today so seem to still be on line...

I had a Nest smoke alarm that I bought in order to have a CO detector and as a trial of whether I wanted to fill the rest of my 9 alarm locations with them. The answer to that question was no, as it turns out. But I had it installed for 10 years. When it has decided it has had enough (reaches 10 year end of life) it will let you know. Gently at first, then stridently I believe. I ripped it out at the "gentle" stage and tossed it.

 

[vreihen]

Funny story. I had a contractor working in the basement at Chez Vreihen this morning, who decided to hang an old-school incandescent drop light from the heat detector over our boiler in the basement. Got the call from central station as expected, because the alarm system saw the heat from the drop light and triggered a fire alarm. The alarm system's remote control app will only display a big red box with "Fire detected! Get out NOW!" on its screen, with no way to cancel the siren/alarm. Of course, I'm 800 miles away from the keypad to disable it locally. First false alarm in 15+ years, and it took me almost half an hour to figure out how to squelch it remotely without the alarm app and contractors unable to get to the keypad. Fun times.....

 

[elemental]

Funny story. I had a contractor working in the basement at Chez Vreihen this morning, who decided to hang an old-school incandescent drop light from the heat detector over our boiler in the basement. Got the call from central station as expected, because the alarm system saw the heat from the drop light and triggered a fire alarm. The alarm system's remote control app will only display a big red box with "Fire detected! Get out NOW!" on its screen, with no way to cancel the siren/alarm. Of course, I'm 800 miles away from the keypad to disable it locally. First false alarm in 15+ years, and it took me almost half an hour to figure out how to squelch it remotely without the alarm app and contractors unable to get to the keypad. Fun times.....

You had me in stitches with "hang on old-school incandescent drop light from the heat detector." Are you sure you want this person working on your house?