OT. Headzup. Smoke Detectors...

D

Dean Hoffman

Guest
Just a reminder. We\'ve had two house fires in Nebraska that have
killed people. The smoke detectors weren\'t working in the first
one. No word about them in the second fire.
 
On Mon, 26 Oct 2020 05:48:19 -0500, Dean Hoffman <deanhofman@clod.com>
wrote:

Just a reminder. We\'ve had two house fires in Nebraska that have
killed people. The smoke detectors weren\'t working in the first
one. No word about them in the second fire.

In CA, smoke detectors are required to have 10-year batteries and CO
detection too. Is that universal now?



--

John Larkin Highland Technology, Inc

Science teaches us to doubt.

Claude Bernard
 
On 10/26/20 9:30 AM, jlarkin@highlandsniptechnology.com wrote:
On Mon, 26 Oct 2020 05:48:19 -0500, Dean Hoffman <deanhofman@clod.com
wrote:

Just a reminder. We\'ve had two house fires in Nebraska that have
killed people. The smoke detectors weren\'t working in the

first
one. No word about them in the second fire.

In CA, smoke detectors are required to have 10-year batteries and CO
detection too. Is that universal now?
No idea. One of mine is house powered with a backup battery. The
other is battery powered. I think both have a warning beep if the
battery is
low. Detectors are so easy to overlook if they don\'t have the warning beep.
I had to check the article again. It said the batteries were
disconnected.
I wonder if the detectors were giving out the warning beeps for low battery
and it was easier just to unhook them temporarily. There\'s nothing more
permanent than temporary. Somebody was going to fix them
someday. There\'s that old Credence Clearwater Revival song,
Someday Never Comes.
<https://kearneyhub.com/news/state-and-regional/smoke-detector-batteries-disconnected-in-fatal-fire-that-killed-4-in-columbus/article_8e54ad74-12ce-11eb-bd4b-b32359bfdd93.html#tracking-source=article-related-bottom>
 
On 10/26/2020 8:19 AM, Dean Hoffman wrote:
On 10/26/20 9:30 AM, jlarkin@highlandsniptechnology.com wrote:
On Mon, 26 Oct 2020 05:48:19 -0500, Dean Hoffman <deanhofman@clod.com
wrote:

Just a reminder. We\'ve had two house fires in Nebraska that have
killed people. The smoke detectors weren\'t working in the

first
one. No word about them in the second fire.

In CA, smoke detectors are required to have 10-year batteries and CO
detection too. Is that universal now?

No idea. One of mine is house powered with a backup battery. The
other is battery powered. I think both have a warning beep if the battery is
low. Detectors are so easy to overlook if they don\'t have the warning beep.

Actually, that warning beep is one of the reasons many smoke detectors are
found with battery REMOVED! It becomes an annoyance. Folks make a mental
note of needing to replace the battery and then remove the battery to kill
the beep. Then, forget that they were supposed to buy new batteries!

Hence the new requirement for AC/DC operation.

(You can, of course, remove the entire smoke detector -- modular plug on the
back side -- but that\'s far more noticeable/reminder)

I had to check the article again. It said the batteries were disconnected.
I wonder if the detectors were giving out the warning beeps for low battery
and it was easier just to unhook them temporarily. There\'s nothing more
permanent than temporary. Somebody was going to fix them
someday. There\'s that old Credence Clearwater Revival song,
Someday Never Comes.
 
On 10/26/2020 3:48 AM, Dean Hoffman wrote:
Just a reminder. We\'ve had two house fires in Nebraska that have
killed people. The smoke detectors weren\'t working in the first
one. No word about them in the second fire.

I believe Code now requires new installations to be AC w/ battery backup
(dead/removed batteries being the primary reason for ineffective smoke/CO
detectors).

Some units are now \"sealed\" with \"10 year battery\" (IIRC, a consumer grade
smoke detector is typically only expected to be in service for 10 years).

We make a habit of replacing the batteries in ours every New Year\'s Eve
(pick a day that is easy to remember). As these have seen practically
ZERO load (smoke detectors are mains powered), I just use them in other
devices that need 9V batteries (e.g., I have a nice digital postal scale
that needs two of these)

Small price to pay to KNOW the detector will be available.

What\'s amusing is how few people actually reach up and press the TEST
button (we do, but only after donning ear protection as all of our
detectors are sync\'ed together -- the combined noise is deafening!)
 
mandag den 26. oktober 2020 kl. 19.42.08 UTC+1 skrev Don Y:
On 10/26/2020 8:19 AM, Dean Hoffman wrote:
On 10/26/20 9:30 AM, jlarkin@highlandsniptechnology.com wrote:
On Mon, 26 Oct 2020 05:48:19 -0500, Dean Hoffman <deanhofman@clod.com
wrote:

Just a reminder. We\'ve had two house fires in Nebraska that have
killed people. The smoke detectors weren\'t working in the

first
one. No word about them in the second fire.

In CA, smoke detectors are required to have 10-year batteries and CO
detection too. Is that universal now?

No idea. One of mine is house powered with a backup battery. The
other is battery powered. I think both have a warning beep if the battery is
low. Detectors are so easy to overlook if they don\'t have the warning beep.

Actually, that warning beep is one of the reasons many smoke detectors are
found with battery REMOVED! It becomes an annoyance. Folks make a mental
note of needing to replace the battery and then remove the battery to kill
the beep. Then, forget that they were supposed to buy new batteries!

Hence the new requirement for AC/DC operation.

(You can, of course, remove the entire smoke detector -- modular plug on the
back side -- but that\'s far more noticeable/reminder)

I\'ve seen few that has a spring loaded plunger that prevents you from closing
it or mounting to it\'s base unless there is a battery installed
 
On Mon, 26 Oct 2020 07:30:32 -0700, jlarkin@highlandsniptechnology.com
wrote:

In CA, smoke detectors are required to have 10-year batteries and CO
detection too. Is that universal now?

No, it is not universal. Here in Norway (which is in the universe)
there is no such requirement.

The 10-year battery requirement is a typical political \"solution\". In
ten years, the problem will be right back: People will be annoyed by
the warning beep, remove the battery and forget about it.

One of my newest detectors has a nice feature: It is not possible to
attach the detector to its bracket unless there is a battery in it.
--
RoRo
 
On 10/26/2020 12:31 PM, Lasse Langwadt Christensen wrote:
mandag den 26. oktober 2020 kl. 19.42.08 UTC+1 skrev Don Y:
On 10/26/2020 8:19 AM, Dean Hoffman wrote:
On 10/26/20 9:30 AM, jlarkin@highlandsniptechnology.com wrote:
On Mon, 26 Oct 2020 05:48:19 -0500, Dean Hoffman <deanhofman@clod.com
wrote:

Just a reminder. We\'ve had two house fires in Nebraska that have
killed people. The smoke detectors weren\'t working in the

first
one. No word about them in the second fire.

In CA, smoke detectors are required to have 10-year batteries and CO
detection too. Is that universal now?

No idea. One of mine is house powered with a backup battery. The
other is battery powered. I think both have a warning beep if the battery is
low. Detectors are so easy to overlook if they don\'t have the warning beep.

Actually, that warning beep is one of the reasons many smoke detectors are
found with battery REMOVED! It becomes an annoyance. Folks make a mental
note of needing to replace the battery and then remove the battery to kill
the beep. Then, forget that they were supposed to buy new batteries!

Hence the new requirement for AC/DC operation.

(You can, of course, remove the entire smoke detector -- modular plug on the
back side -- but that\'s far more noticeable/reminder)


I\'ve seen few that has a spring loaded plunger that prevents you from closing
it or mounting to it\'s base unless there is a battery installed

Yes. So you take it down. Because they are inherently easy to take down!
In either case, it\'s not performing its intended function.

I think people are inured to the practical lack-of-need for these devices
(how many folks do you know who have had a fire in their home?). It\'s
sort of like folks not worrying about the pressure in their tires (on
their cars). So, they don\'t make it a priority to maintain the devices.

Our discipline of keeping to a (artificial) battery replacement schedule
means we\'re shopping for replacement batteries before we \"need\" them.
So, when the replacement anniversary comes along, we just swap new
for old -- no need to be at risk for more than a second!
 
On 10/26/2020 12:32 PM, Robert Roland wrote:
One of my newest detectors has a nice feature: It is not possible to
attach the detector to its bracket unless there is a battery in it.

As I told Lasse, you take the device down -- completely -- to silence the
annoying beep. And, make a note to remember to buy replacement battery.
Then, set the detector aside -- someplace OUT OF THE WAY cuz you don\'t
want it interfering with your daily activities.

And, forget about it.

The only real solution is to be proactive. You tend not to forget
about \"Tax Day\". So, why can\'t you remember \"Battery Day\"??

(surely, the fine for late filing of taxes would be much less
consequential than having your home burn down or occupants die
from smoke inhalation!)

When was the last time you *tested* your smoke/Co detectors? GFCIs?
Parking brake (when did we stop calling it Emergency Brake?) on your
vehicle?
 
On Mon, 26 Oct 2020 20:32:20 +0100, Robert Roland <fake@ddress.no>
wrote:

On Mon, 26 Oct 2020 07:30:32 -0700, jlarkin@highlandsniptechnology.com
wrote:

In CA, smoke detectors are required to have 10-year batteries and CO
detection too. Is that universal now?

No, it is not universal. Here in Norway (which is in the universe)
there is no such requirement.

The 10-year battery requirement is a typical political \"solution\". In
ten years, the problem will be right back: People will be annoyed by
the warning beep, remove the battery and forget about it.

The batteries are not removable. That makes sense, since the CO
detectors typically don\'t last 10 years.

One of my newest detectors has a nice feature: It is not possible to
attach the detector to its bracket unless there is a battery in it.
 
On Mon, 26 Oct 2020 11:41:01 -0700, Don Y
<blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> wrote:

On 10/26/2020 8:19 AM, Dean Hoffman wrote:
On 10/26/20 9:30 AM, jlarkin@highlandsniptechnology.com wrote:
On Mon, 26 Oct 2020 05:48:19 -0500, Dean Hoffman <deanhofman@clod.com
wrote:

Just a reminder. We\'ve had two house fires in Nebraska that have
killed people. The smoke detectors weren\'t working in the

first
one. No word about them in the second fire.

In CA, smoke detectors are required to have 10-year batteries and CO
detection too. Is that universal now?

No idea. One of mine is house powered with a backup battery. The
other is battery powered. I think both have a warning beep if the battery is
low. Detectors are so easy to overlook if they don\'t have the warning beep.

Actually, that warning beep is one of the reasons many smoke detectors are
found with battery REMOVED! It becomes an annoyance. Folks make a mental
note of needing to replace the battery and then remove the battery to kill
the beep. Then, forget that they were supposed to buy new batteries!

Hence the new requirement for AC/DC operation.

(You can, of course, remove the entire smoke detector -- modular plug on the
back side -- but that\'s far more noticeable/reminder)

I had to check the article again. It said the batteries were disconnected.
I wonder if the detectors were giving out the warning beeps for low battery
and it was easier just to unhook them temporarily. There\'s nothing more
permanent than temporary. Somebody was going to fix them
someday. There\'s that old Credence Clearwater Revival song,
Someday Never Comes.

In my experience, the problem is improper placement of the smoke
detector. Like too close to the kitchen, so it\'s always criticizing
the cook. The long-term solution is to move the detector so false
alarms are rare.

It\'s also useful to have one near to the bedrooms, so it is able to
wake people up.

Joe Gwinn
 
On 10/26/2020 3:01 PM, Joe Gwinn wrote:
In my experience, the problem is improper placement of the smoke
detector. Like too close to the kitchen, so it\'s always criticizing
the cook. The long-term solution is to move the detector so false
alarms are rare.

It\'s also useful to have one near to the bedrooms, so it is able to
wake people up.

Some municipalities forbid smoke detectors in kitchens for that
very reason. But, many officials are incredibly ignorant as to
the actual details of their local regulations.

I tried calling the Building Inspector and Fire Department to
get an authoritative read on where detectors are \"required\"
(in new construction, as an advisory to where I might want to
locate them in EXISTING buildings). And, where they are
prohibited.

It was like I was talking about plumbing to an electrician!

Can I put one in the garage (lots of combustible materials,
there, and ignition sources)? Kitchen? Furnace room?
If the kitchen adjoins another area WITHOUT a dividing
wall, does that area fall under the same placement constraints
and recommendations of the kitchen area?

Eye sores to put them in ALL rooms (and likely doesn\'t
significantly increase the protection afforded).

Putting them IN the bedrooms (as recommended) is hard, here
(if you want AC/DC). So, we opted for immediately outside
of the bedrooms (where gaining access to the ceiling-space
was considerably easier).

Note that there are also placement issues WITHIN a particular
room that I\'ve often seen ignored (how close to ceiling/wall,
location relative to windows, air ducts, etc.)
 
On Mon, 26 Oct 2020 15:14:37 -0700, Don Y
<blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> wrote:

On 10/26/2020 3:01 PM, Joe Gwinn wrote:
In my experience, the problem is improper placement of the smoke
detector. Like too close to the kitchen, so it\'s always criticizing
the cook. The long-term solution is to move the detector so false
alarms are rare.

It\'s also useful to have one near to the bedrooms, so it is able to
wake people up.

Some municipalities forbid smoke detectors in kitchens for that
very reason. But, many officials are incredibly ignorant as to
the actual details of their local regulations.

I tried calling the Building Inspector and Fire Department to
get an authoritative read on where detectors are \"required\"
(in new construction, as an advisory to where I might want to
locate them in EXISTING buildings). And, where they are
prohibited.

It was like I was talking about plumbing to an electrician!

Can I put one in the garage (lots of combustible materials,
there, and ignition sources)? Kitchen? Furnace room?
If the kitchen adjoins another area WITHOUT a dividing
wall, does that area fall under the same placement constraints
and recommendations of the kitchen area?

Eye sores to put them in ALL rooms (and likely doesn\'t
significantly increase the protection afforded).

Putting them IN the bedrooms (as recommended) is hard, here
(if you want AC/DC). So, we opted for immediately outside
of the bedrooms (where gaining access to the ceiling-space
was considerably easier).

Note that there are also placement issues WITHIN a particular
room that I\'ve often seen ignored (how close to ceiling/wall,
location relative to windows, air ducts, etc.)

I prefer the head of the stairs just outside the bedroom doors,
because the smoke comes up the stairs first.

I have a detector per floor (basement, 1st, 2nd), and a CO detector in
the basement and on the 2nd floor.

False alarms are rare.

Joe Gwinn
 
On 10/26/2020 3:21 PM, Joe Gwinn wrote:
On Mon, 26 Oct 2020 15:14:37 -0700, Don Y

Can I put one in the garage (lots of combustible materials,
there, and ignition sources)? Kitchen? Furnace room?
If the kitchen adjoins another area WITHOUT a dividing
wall, does that area fall under the same placement constraints
and recommendations of the kitchen area?

Putting them IN the bedrooms (as recommended) is hard, here
(if you want AC/DC). So, we opted for immediately outside
of the bedrooms (where gaining access to the ceiling-space
was considerably easier).

Note that there are also placement issues WITHIN a particular
room that I\'ve often seen ignored (how close to ceiling/wall,
location relative to windows, air ducts, etc.)

I prefer the head of the stairs just outside the bedroom doors,
because the smoke comes up the stairs first.

I have a detector per floor (basement, 1st, 2nd), and a CO detector in
the basement and on the 2nd floor.

False alarms are rare.

We don\'t have basements (that\'s almost a universal truth, here -- which
is unfortunate as the ground temperature would significantly moderate our
cooling needs!).

And, this particular house has no second floor --- nor \"attic\".
(flat roof) -- which is why it\'s typically hard to gain access
to spaces that don\'t already have wiring present (lots of drywall
work and drilling roof joists)

We\'ve used \"combination\" CO+smoke detectors in each location. I\'d have
liked to put a detector in the furnace room -- even if only a TEMPERATURE
alarm...
 
On Monday, October 26, 2020 at 6:01:36 PM UTC-4, Joe Gwinn wrote:
On Mon, 26 Oct 2020 11:41:01 -0700, Don Y
blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> wrote:

On 10/26/2020 8:19 AM, Dean Hoffman wrote:
On 10/26/20 9:30 AM, jlarkin@highlandsniptechnology.com wrote:
On Mon, 26 Oct 2020 05:48:19 -0500, Dean Hoffman <deanhofman@clod.com
wrote:

Just a reminder. We\'ve had two house fires in Nebraska that have
killed people. The smoke detectors weren\'t working in the

first
one. No word about them in the second fire.

In CA, smoke detectors are required to have 10-year batteries and CO
detection too. Is that universal now?

No idea. One of mine is house powered with a backup battery. The
other is battery powered. I think both have a warning beep if the battery is
low. Detectors are so easy to overlook if they don\'t have the warning beep.

Actually, that warning beep is one of the reasons many smoke detectors are
found with battery REMOVED! It becomes an annoyance. Folks make a mental
note of needing to replace the battery and then remove the battery to kill
the beep. Then, forget that they were supposed to buy new batteries!

Hence the new requirement for AC/DC operation.

(You can, of course, remove the entire smoke detector -- modular plug on the
back side -- but that\'s far more noticeable/reminder)

I had to check the article again. It said the batteries were disconnected.
I wonder if the detectors were giving out the warning beeps for low battery
and it was easier just to unhook them temporarily. There\'s nothing more
permanent than temporary. Somebody was going to fix them
someday. There\'s that old Credence Clearwater Revival song,
Someday Never Comes.

In my experience, the problem is improper placement of the smoke
detector. Like too close to the kitchen, so it\'s always criticizing
the cook. The long-term solution is to move the detector so false
alarms are rare.

It\'s also useful to have one near to the bedrooms, so it is able to
wake people up.

It\'s actually pretty funny what you said about improper placement. The place the alarms so they WILL go off most readily in the event of a fire. So if your kitchen fire (aka dinner) inconveniently sets it off, that\'s a problem with your cooking, not a problem with the detector.

--

Rick C.

- Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging
- Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209
 
On 10/26/20 9:40 PM, Ricketty C wrote:
On Monday, October 26, 2020 at 6:01:36 PM UTC-4, Joe Gwinn wrote:
On Mon, 26 Oct 2020 11:41:01 -0700, Don Y
blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> wrote:

On 10/26/2020 8:19 AM, Dean Hoffman wrote:
On 10/26/20 9:30 AM, jlarkin@highlandsniptechnology.com wrote:
On Mon, 26 Oct 2020 05:48:19 -0500, Dean Hoffman <deanhofman@clod.com
wrote:

Just a reminder. We\'ve had two house fires in Nebraska that have
killed people. The smoke detectors weren\'t working in the

first
one. No word about them in the second fire.

In CA, smoke detectors are required to have 10-year batteries and CO
detection too. Is that universal now?

No idea. One of mine is house powered with a backup battery. The
other is battery powered. I think both have a warning beep if the battery is
low. Detectors are so easy to overlook if they don\'t have the warning beep.

Actually, that warning beep is one of the reasons many smoke detectors are
found with battery REMOVED! It becomes an annoyance. Folks make a mental
note of needing to replace the battery and then remove the battery to kill
the beep. Then, forget that they were supposed to buy new batteries!

Hence the new requirement for AC/DC operation.

(You can, of course, remove the entire smoke detector -- modular plug on the
back side -- but that\'s far more noticeable/reminder)

I had to check the article again. It said the batteries were disconnected.
I wonder if the detectors were giving out the warning beeps for low battery
and it was easier just to unhook them temporarily. There\'s nothing more
permanent than temporary. Somebody was going to fix them
someday. There\'s that old Credence Clearwater Revival song,
Someday Never Comes.

In my experience, the problem is improper placement of the smoke
detector. Like too close to the kitchen, so it\'s always criticizing
the cook. The long-term solution is to move the detector so false
alarms are rare.

It\'s also useful to have one near to the bedrooms, so it is able to
wake people up.

It\'s actually pretty funny what you said about improper placement. The place the alarms so they WILL go off most readily in the event of a fire. So if your kitchen fire (aka dinner) inconveniently sets it off, that\'s a problem with your cooking, not a problem with the detector.
How else can one tell if a steak is done?
 
On 10/26/20 9:30 AM, jlarkin@highlandsniptechnology.com wrote:
On Mon, 26 Oct 2020 05:48:19 -0500, Dean Hoffman <deanhofman@clod.com
wrote:

Just a reminder. We\'ve had two house fires in Nebraska that have
killed people. The smoke detectors weren\'t working in the first
one. No word about them in the second fire.

In CA, smoke detectors are required to have 10-year batteries and CO
detection too. Is that universal now?
This is from Consumer Reports. They don\'t have much faith in
combination
detectors. From article written in June 2018:
\"You can find standalone smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors,
as well as combination smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in smart and
non-internet-connected forms. All three detector types offer standalone
and interconnected varieties. Consumer Reports has yet to test a
combination detector that is effective at detecting carbon monoxide,
smoldering fires, and flaming fires, which is why we recommend consumers
use a combination of detectors in their homes for complete protection.\"
 
On Tuesday, October 27, 2020 at 6:15:56 AM UTC-4, Dean Hoffman wrote:
On 10/26/20 9:40 PM, Ricketty C wrote:
On Monday, October 26, 2020 at 6:01:36 PM UTC-4, Joe Gwinn wrote:
On Mon, 26 Oct 2020 11:41:01 -0700, Don Y
blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> wrote:

On 10/26/2020 8:19 AM, Dean Hoffman wrote:
On 10/26/20 9:30 AM, jlarkin@highlandsniptechnology.com wrote:
On Mon, 26 Oct 2020 05:48:19 -0500, Dean Hoffman <deanhofman@clod.com
wrote:

Just a reminder. We\'ve had two house fires in Nebraska that have
killed people. The smoke detectors weren\'t working in the

first
one. No word about them in the second fire.

In CA, smoke detectors are required to have 10-year batteries and CO
detection too. Is that universal now?

No idea. One of mine is house powered with a backup battery. The
other is battery powered. I think both have a warning beep if the battery is
low. Detectors are so easy to overlook if they don\'t have the warning beep.

Actually, that warning beep is one of the reasons many smoke detectors are
found with battery REMOVED! It becomes an annoyance. Folks make a mental
note of needing to replace the battery and then remove the battery to kill
the beep. Then, forget that they were supposed to buy new batteries!

Hence the new requirement for AC/DC operation.

(You can, of course, remove the entire smoke detector -- modular plug on the
back side -- but that\'s far more noticeable/reminder)

I had to check the article again. It said the batteries were disconnected.
I wonder if the detectors were giving out the warning beeps for low battery
and it was easier just to unhook them temporarily. There\'s nothing more
permanent than temporary. Somebody was going to fix them
someday. There\'s that old Credence Clearwater Revival song,
Someday Never Comes.

In my experience, the problem is improper placement of the smoke
detector. Like too close to the kitchen, so it\'s always criticizing
the cook. The long-term solution is to move the detector so false
alarms are rare.

It\'s also useful to have one near to the bedrooms, so it is able to
wake people up.

It\'s actually pretty funny what you said about improper placement. The place the alarms so they WILL go off most readily in the event of a fire. So if your kitchen fire (aka dinner) inconveniently sets it off, that\'s a problem with your cooking, not a problem with the detector.

How else can one tell if a steak is done?

I used to hang out in a place that used a timer for the chicken fryer. It was loud enough it could be heard all through the store, literally. You could hear it in the bathroom.

I guess that\'s the sort of kitchen tools you have?

--

Rick C.

++ Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging
++ Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209
 
On 10/27/20 1:44 PM, Ricketty C wrote:
On Tuesday, October 27, 2020 at 6:15:56 AM UTC-4, Dean Hoffman wrote:
On 10/26/20 9:40 PM, Ricketty C wrote:
On Monday, October 26, 2020 at 6:01:36 PM UTC-4, Joe Gwinn wrote:
On Mon, 26 Oct 2020 11:41:01 -0700, Don Y
blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> wrote:

On 10/26/2020 8:19 AM, Dean Hoffman wrote:
On 10/26/20 9:30 AM, jlarkin@highlandsniptechnology.com wrote:
On Mon, 26 Oct 2020 05:48:19 -0500, Dean Hoffman <deanhofman@clod.com
wrote:

Just a reminder. We\'ve had two house fires in Nebraska that have
killed people. The smoke detectors weren\'t working in the

first
one. No word about them in the second fire.

In CA, smoke detectors are required to have 10-year batteries and CO
detection too. Is that universal now?

No idea. One of mine is house powered with a backup battery. The
other is battery powered. I think both have a warning beep if the battery is
low. Detectors are so easy to overlook if they don\'t have the warning beep.

Actually, that warning beep is one of the reasons many smoke detectors are
found with battery REMOVED! It becomes an annoyance. Folks make a mental
note of needing to replace the battery and then remove the battery to kill
the beep. Then, forget that they were supposed to buy new batteries!

Hence the new requirement for AC/DC operation.

(You can, of course, remove the entire smoke detector -- modular plug on the
back side -- but that\'s far more noticeable/reminder)

I had to check the article again. It said the batteries were disconnected.
I wonder if the detectors were giving out the warning beeps for low battery
and it was easier just to unhook them temporarily. There\'s nothing more
permanent than temporary. Somebody was going to fix them
someday. There\'s that old Credence Clearwater Revival song,
Someday Never Comes.

In my experience, the problem is improper placement of the smoke
detector. Like too close to the kitchen, so it\'s always criticizing
the cook. The long-term solution is to move the detector so false
alarms are rare.

It\'s also useful to have one near to the bedrooms, so it is able to
wake people up.

It\'s actually pretty funny what you said about improper placement. The place the alarms so they WILL go off most readily in the event of a fire. So if your kitchen fire (aka dinner) inconveniently sets it off, that\'s a problem with your cooking, not a problem with the detector.

How else can one tell if a steak is done?

I used to hang out in a place that used a timer for the chicken fryer. It was loud enough it could be heard all through the store, literally. You could hear it in the bathroom.

I guess that\'s the sort of kitchen tools you have?
An old, bad joke on my part. I suppose I have the basic
stuff for cooking but I\'m too lazy to use it. That\'s the fault of a
candy bar and a man named Spencer. I bought
a Litton 500 series microwave years ago for maybe $500. It was
supposed to cook most common things, even cakes. It had a dial to
regulate output and a thumb wheel for setting time. That thing must\'ve
lasted at least 30 years.
The replacement probably cost half as much and has digital controls.
Spencer was nobody\'s dummy and not afraid of work. He had a tough
start in life.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percy_Spencer>
 

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