... because they can go off at random times between midnight and 6am, and because it's up high you have a heck of a job working out where it's coming from. I guess it was dust in our ceiling cavity, or a mouse pushing the test button...
That is all.
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they will be getting dust in them which will cause them to go off
why would you have one in the ceiling cavity anyways?
Jase2985:they will be getting dust in them which will cause them to go off
why would you have one in the ceiling cavity anyways?
I've never heard of anybody ever installing a smoke alarm in a roof space and it's a bad idea for the reason you've discovered - the roof space is full of dust so they're going to trigger continually when dust enters the chamber. Both ionisation and photoelectric alarms will suffer this issue.
you are better off installing wired smoke alarms that intergrate with your home security system. Then all you need to do is use the keypad to hush them.
Eitherway... one in the roofspace will keep you awake regardless.
I wonder how HRV (ventilation gumps), do it with their systems? (perhaps that smoke alarm is a really small one and focussed on the motor).
I have always thought that smoke alarms in the ceiling cavity would be a good idea. It is a hot dry dusty place with lots of electrical wiring etc. so is probably an area that fires could start in. Trouble is that those conditions also make it an unsuitable place to install smoke alarms.
The other problem with this is when the battery goes flat and it starts emitting a cheeping reminder noise.
We were in a hotel once when this happened to us. Took the staff forever to figure out that it was coming from a smoke alarm in the roof cavity. Much surliness on all sides ensued.
timmmay: I have an annual reminder to check smoke alarms including batteries.
its called daylight savings, happens 2x every year
I have logged a fraction over 60 in my roofspace at the top underneith the black metal tiles. I would expect that would cook any battery in no time if it was a battery alarm.
Also all the smoke that blows thru there from the neighbours fires would set it off in winter.
richms:
I have logged a fraction over 60 in my roofspace at the top underneith the black metal tiles. I would expect that would cook any battery in no time if it was a battery alarm.
Also all the smoke that blows thru there from the neighbours fires would set it off in winter.
In addition: Most heat sensors will go off around 58 degrees Celcius. The smarter ones will look at how quickly the temperature changes, but any fairly cheap heat alarm would probably just alarm when it passes 58 degrees.
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