Smoke Alarm

[charliebbarkin]

Can you do me a favor and take a quick look at your smoke alarms please? What color is the light on your alarm and is it flashing or off or steady on?

Thanks!

[Bamps]

Battery time.

[Jeff]

Every make and model will be different.

The one I have in the hall by the bedrooms, no lights. It works, I bought the one with no lights.

One in the stairwell to the basement solid green light. Just generic one I got from hardware store.

On in back basement by furnace, water heater, etc also with carbon monoxide detector, very slow blue flash every maybe 4-5 seconds.

[charliebbarkin]

Battery time.

LOL thanks!

[charliebbarkin]

Every make and model will be different.

The one I have in the hall by the bedrooms, no lights. It works, I bought the one with no lights.

One in the stairwell to the basement solid green light. Just generic one I got from hardware store.

On in back basement by furnace, water heater, etc also with carbon monoxide detector, very slow blue flash every maybe 4-5 seconds.

Thanks Jeff. I figured...which is why I struggled so hard to find an answer on the google.

Alright so of course at some stupid early hour this morning, the smoke alarm went off. No actual smoke or actual fire so we assume battery. Change the battery but the light is still red. Then I looked at the others and one does not have a light and the other is also red. None are flashing or beeping at this time.

Not sure if that is normal or if I will be rudely awakened tomorrow morning as well. I guess my next step is to go through the pile of user manuals the previous homeowner left for us, and hope to find the ones for the smoke detectors. Maybe this is why they never go off when I am burning dinner

[arentspowell]

Our fire alarm randomly went off the other day too! We fanned air toward it till it stopped and it hasn't happened again since. Its located half way between the slider and the stairs and its been so hot out so the only cause I can think of is the hot air from outside rose and triggered it? Not sure though, it was really strange.

[Scoutpout]

also check the expiration date of the smoke detectors. They don't last forever. there should be a label inside the battery compartment with a replace-by date on it. some of them tell you they've hit their expiry date by going off, or flashing lights at you.

[swanska]

also check the expiration date of the smoke detectors. They don't last forever. there should be a label inside the battery compartment with a replace-by date on it. some of them tell you they've hit their expiry date by going off, or flashing lights at you.

I just replaced my 1996 smoke detectors....I think that you are supposed to replace them every 10 years so mine were beyond overdue. It was very confusing since I just wanted some simple ones -- HD and Lowes seemed to have too many bells and whistles, room specific and $$. I researched Consumer Reports and by the time I got my act together, several had been recalled. Finally found some at Costco that are about 2" in diameter and easy to install -- low visual impact too (although you might have to touch-up the ceiling paint). I think that they have a 10-year battery and you just test them every couple of weeks. They came in a 2-pack and were about $30. Because of the cost, I increased the number around the house. Hope they are good -- my parents have them too. Still have to replace the hardwired one.

[Jeff]

Hmm interesting, I never knew they might blink when expired. I knew they expired, I replaced all mine when I bought my house 6 years ago.

If you are going to replace them then you might look into the new Nest smoke detector and Carbon monoxide detectors. They text you when the battery is running low or if it detects something. Plus you can silence the alarm from your phone like if cooking sets it off.

Nest Protect Smoke Plus Carbon Monoxide, Battery S2001BW - - Amazon.com

[bett]

mine is attached to my alarm system and it flashes red.