Today's Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

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#3105798 18-Jul-2023 21:21

10 year smoke alarm with 2029 date. It’s been going off randomly most of the day. Took it down vacuumed all the orifices. Put it back up couple hours later it squeals again. Take it down, sit it on the coffee table. It’s quiet for a few hours then squeals again for no reason another three times.

I can’t disarm it, there’s no way to. if I throw it in the rubbish it will squeal and the neighbours will be calling fire service. Have no idea what to do with it. Will take it to the bedroom and sit it on the bedside table so can hit it to turn off when it starts during the night.

Was thinking of drowning it in a bucket of water, would that work? First world problem, I just want it dead.

mrdrifter

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#3105799 18-Jul-2023 21:28

Eva888: 10 year smoke alarm with 2029 date. It’s been going off randomly most of the day. Took it down vacuumed all the orifices. Put it back up couple hours later it squeals again. Take it down, sit it on the coffee table. It’s quiet for a few hours then squeals again for no reason another three times.

I can’t disarm it, there’s no way to. if I throw it in the rubbish it will squeal and the neighbours will be calling fire service. Have no idea what to do with it. Will take it to the bedroom and sit it on the bedside table so can hit it to turn off when it starts during the night.

Was thinking of drowning it in a bucket of water, would that work? First world problem, I just want it dead.

On the base of the alarm itself, does it have a small square/rectangle flat area? if so that is where it's designed to have a small magnet placed during shipping that disconnects the power. a magnet can be put back on later to disconnect it again. I just returned 4 to Bunnings that a 'Family Shield' brand all from 2019, they have apparently had lots of them returned!

Eva888

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#3105805 18-Jul-2023 21:39

@mrdrifter Yes! It has this on the back. Any ideas where to find a magnet. Would a fridge magnet do and does it have to sit inside the square or over it. Thank you so much for this answer. Didn’t fancy getting shocked all night.

eracode

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#3105806 18-Jul-2023 21:40

Eva888: 10 year smoke alarm with 2029 date.

Is it a Cavius? If so, contact Cavius NZ with the details - they’re great with faulty stuff that’s well in front of its expiry date.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

Eva888

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#3105809 18-Jul-2023 21:50

Not a caveus.

None of the fridge magnets have one small enough. Have cut up a flat one to fit the hole but it just sits there and I can’t see that it is having any magnetic pull as if I turn it over it just drops out and the red light is still winking.

Seriously, would drowning it work?

neb

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#3105813 18-Jul-2023 21:56

Wakrak:
Noel Leeming listing products that they don't want to sell

Brother MFCL5755DW Mono Laser DEMO - Noel Leeming

Brother MFCJ6945CDW DEMO - Noel Leeming

DEMO DO NOT SELL PLEASE USE 145824

Definitely one to submit to Daily W/T/F!

tweake

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#3105816 18-Jul-2023 22:16

Eva888: Not a caveus.

None of the fridge magnets have one small enough. Have cut up a flat one to fit the hole but it just sits there and I can’t see that it is having any magnetic pull as if I turn it over it just drops out and the red light is still winking.

Seriously, would drowning it work?

doesn't need to be small, just strong enough.

i pulled one apart some years back. standard design but poorly done. they are also prone to false trigger when cold or damp.

neb

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#3105822 18-Jul-2023 22:27

mrdrifter:
I just returned 4 to Bunnings that a 'Family Shield' brand all from 2019, they have apparently had lots of them returned!

Is there any ten-year smoke alarm that lasts more than a few years before false-triggering or dying? They ought to market them under the slogan: "Ten-year smoke alarms, every bit as enduring as the thousand-year reich".

Rikkitic

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#3105824 18-Jul-2023 22:59

Eva888: 10 year smoke alarm with 2029 date. It’s been going off randomly most of the day. Took it down vacuumed all the orifices. Put it back up couple hours later it squeals again. Take it down, sit it on the coffee table. It’s quiet for a few hours then squeals again for no reason another three times.

I can’t disarm it, there’s no way to. if I throw it in the rubbish it will squeal and the neighbours will be calling fire service. Have no idea what to do with it. Will take it to the bedroom and sit it on the bedside table so can hit it to turn off when it starts during the night.

Was thinking of drowning it in a bucket of water, would that work? First world problem, I just want it dead.

I had some of these that started going off and wouldn't stop. Pressing the button would briefly stop it but then it would immediately go off again. There was no way to disable it or shut it up. It couldn't be opened or unscrewed to cut the battery connection. Once this happened in the middle of the night. We have high ceilings and I had to get a stepladder from outside in the dark to reach it. There was no way I was going to keep these damned things until I could take them into town to return them to Bunnings. The only way to shut them up was to destroy them with a hammer. I would never have another photoelectric alarm if I had any choice but the ionisation ones, which did a perfect job and actually alerted me to an electrical fire once, are no longer available thanks to some idiot somewhere who decided these weren't good enough so now we are stuck with these other damned things that keep blaring false alerts.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

eracode

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#3105840 19-Jul-2023 04:54

Eva888: Not a caveus.

None of the fridge magnets have one small enough. Have cut up a flat one to fit the hole but it just sits there and I can’t see that it is having any magnetic pull as if I turn it over it just drops out and the red light is still winking.

Seriously, would drowning it work?

Just try it and see - you’ve got nothing to lose and it’s unlikely to explode. Maybe dissolve some salt into the water to make it a bit conductive to more quickly screw up the electronics. Or take it down to a beach for a swim.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

Handle9

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#3105841 19-Jul-2023 05:16

eracode:

Eva888: Not a caveus.

None of the fridge magnets have one small enough. Have cut up a flat one to fit the hole but it just sits there and I can’t see that it is having any magnetic pull as if I turn it over it just drops out and the red light is still winking.

Seriously, would drowning it work?

Just try it and see - you’ve got nothing to lose and it’s unlikely to explode. Maybe dissolve some salt into the water to make it a bit conductive to more quickly screw up the electronics. Or take it down to a beach for a swim.

What's wrong with a square drive hammer?

Jase2985

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#3105852 19-Jul-2023 08:12

Eva888: Not a caveus.

None of the fridge magnets have one small enough. Have cut up a flat one to fit the hole but it just sits there and I can’t see that it is having any magnetic pull as if I turn it over it just drops out and the red light is still winking.

Seriously, would drowning it work?

hard to take it back after you have drowned it

msukiwi

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#3105853 19-Jul-2023 08:16

Jase2985:hard to take it back after you have drowned it

Aaaahhhh but the satisfaction in finally shutting it up might be worth it!

Tinkerisk

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#3105870 19-Jul-2023 09:41

freitasm:
Tinkerisk:

With all due respect, what kind of banana squad do you have as police? In "Brookenwood Mysteries" it always worked quite well, didn't it? 😉

So have you watched it then?

Sure I do. The series is always on Sunday evenings on German public television. His car is unique! 😀

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Eva888

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#3105876 19-Jul-2023 10:07

We slept together last night with it lying on its front so the magnet sheets I cut wouldn’t drop out and it was silent. Unsure if by magnet or the sympathy of the universe.

Seems crazy that they don’t have an on, off switch. Some I’ve had before were disabled when you took them down. This one is far too clever.

Would love to take it back but can’t remember if it was Mitre10 or Bunnings that sold it and can’t be bothered doing two trips in opposite directions to find out.

It's due to be drowned in salty water. Don’t fancy trying to hammer it inside a sack.

So then where to dispose of it? I could drive it to the tip. Wonder do they have a special grave for them there or should I just put it in recycling...but, it has a battery.

Really this is ridiculous when many people will have a similar problem. Wish Consumer would get on to it.

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