"False Alarm" on Smoke Detectors... Next steps???

[Old No7]

I'm hoping some on the forum have some thoughts or ideas that will help me and maybe some others who may deal with this issue... Thanks in advance!

OK, for background info, 2 years ago when my wife and I moved into this then 10-year-old house, we started to experience some false alarms with the smoke detectors during the days. I was told that "the sensors on those only last 10 years" so I ended up replacing all 6 units; 3 upstairs outside/in each bedroom, 1 in the garage and 1st floor each, and 1 down in the cellar. I also installed a carbon monoxide detector on 1st & 2nd floors too, since we also have a propane decorative stove for an alternate heat source.

Fast forward 2 years, and we just had a rude awakening at oh-dark-thirty the other morning when all the smoke detectors went off... The good news is, they are all wired together (on 120v line, with 9v battery backups) so when one trips, they all go off. But the bad news is, with it done that way -- there's no way to ID which of the 6 is the offending unit! The great news is, of course, that it only proved to be a false alarm. But now what???

We had the floors refinished 4 weeks ago and while they did the sanding, the guys put a plastic "hair bonnet" over the detector on the 1st floor, and the upstairs was sealed off in plastic. What I did was get all new 9v batteries and install those -- even though they were changed around Valentine's Day (an annual reminder to "protect the Loved Ones" on/around that date) -- and then I also got a vacuum cleaner and put the nozzle up against all vents and openings on each detector. Oddly enough......... Two of the upstairs (2nd floor) detectors sounded as I vacuumed around them -- and I know for sure that I did not hit the test button.

* I'm thinking maybe there was some dust inside of those that could have caused the false alarm? And then the vacuum moved it around inside the sensor causing it to trip again? (Both those secondary alarms cleared quickly after I blew fresh air on the sensors...)

* Besides cleaning those annually, and changing the backup batteries, is there anything else I can do to help prevent more false alarms?

The great news is that it only was a false alarm originally, but it sure was alarming when they went off!!! The other positive outcome is it's also got us reviewing our exit and meeting plans, and checking the 2nd floor "escape ladder" (we will actually try to exit the 2nd floor windows too, some sunny day, so we know what to expect at night). And I am also prioritizing "which of the you-know-whats" from the safe gets carried outside first! (Even though my wife is saying there's no way she'll let me make any more trips "back in" if there ever was a real event...)

I am hoping that someone with Volunteer or Professional Fire Fighting experience or who is knowledgeable about smoke detectors might be able to weigh in on this, and advise of any other "next steps" that I should take.

Thanks, and tight groups!

Old No7

[Old Ironsights]

Since you replaced them within the last two years you have pretty much covered the bases.

As to WHY the alarms are going off... there are 2 different types of fire alarm sensors. One type detects "invisible smoke" (ionizing particulates) and the other is Photoelectric and detects Visible Smoke.

Unfortunately, the most common - ionizing - has the most false positives from modern atmospheric chemicals/pollution that also tends to be ionized...

Here is a good article on the two types, and why the ionization type gives more false positives:

http://www.structuretech1.com/2012/04/i ... ke-alarms/

Another good article: http://firemarshals.org/rfsi/smokealarmfacts.html

Now, just to make this even more interesting/political...

Be glad you aren't living in some of the New Residential Construction that requires Automatic Sprinklers as per .gov interference...

Like wet household goods?

[Ysabel Kid]

Darryl - I feel for you. We've had this happen with us, invariably in the middle of the night when I am traveling. Makes my wife as mad as Sixgun's hornets. We've replaced a couple of the units, but it always seems to be a never-ending battle.

[mack]

Could it have been high humidity? I have one that will set off occasionally, early morning, windows open, damp or foggy day.

[Eye-Bite!]

Had the same problem. First item on the agenda was to replace all the batteries. While the unit was down, i took them to the garage and gently blew compressed air through them. After numerous episodes this helped out tremendously.

[jdad]

Vacuum off the faces. We had problems, with cobwebs. No more problems.

[AJMD429]

Ours go off once in awhile like that. I blame it on 'ladybugs' but I don't really know the cause.

Vacuuming them makes them go off momentarily also.

Ours are so loud, you really need to don hearing protection if you are going to stay in the house to 'investigate' a false alarm.