48 replies to this topic

[Revolutionist]

So, I keep late hours. As geekocity runs deep in my veins, I normally hit the rack around 2am. Last night was no different.

However, at 5:30 this moring, the smoke-detector in my bedroom decides its battery is a little on the low side and starts that BEEP. You know, one BEEP every minute saying "change my battery you!"

Now, it just so happens that the detector is up near the ceiling and in my bedroom that means its 15 feet above the floor, requiring a ladder to reach.

So the decision in front of me is: try and ignore it and go back to sleep, or get up, go down to my garage, get my ladder, find a battery, haul the ladder upstairs, set it up, change the battery.

Of course, I am a bit bleary-eyed and tired, so opt for course of action #1 - misake.

It continues to beep until about 7am when my alarm goes off.. time to start my day.

My question is... why has it not beeped, not even once since 7am?

ARGH!

[Silverado]

Its seems to be one of those things that a smoke detector battery will always go low in the wee hours of the morning. Its happened to me too.
In reality though, my theory is that house is the coldest at these hours and the battery voltage is slightly decreased by the cold. When you kick on the heater in the morning, problem goes away. Better change that battery!

[Revolutionist]

Its seems to be one of those things that a smoke detector battery will always go low in the wee hours of the morning. Its happened to me too.
In reality though, my theory is that house is the coldest at these hours and the battery voltage is slightly decreased by the cold. When you kick on the heater in the morning, problem goes away. Better change that battery!

yep, just as soon as I finish my nap!

[Andrea V]

Reminds me!

Chris! Change ALL of the batteries in ALL of the smoke detectors! Or I will go out and buy all new ones and "lose" the receipt!



our smoke detectors have not been working since we moved in.

[SunshineServices]

A good rule of thumb to remember with smoke detectors is to change the batteries at daylight savings time, twice a year. Better safe than sorry! Of course, you could always put in those special $10 Lithium 10-year batteries!

[Andrea V]

A good rule of thumb to remember with smoke detectors is to change the batteries at daylight savings time, twice a year. Better safe than sorry! Of course, you could always put in those special $10 Lithium 10-year batteries!

10 YEARS!! Now that would be WORTH $10!

[MSgt]

That happened to me last summer. The chrip was intermittent and finally I got up, got the ladder and pulled the battery, went back to bed and half an hour later I heard it again. I was so tired I could hardly think straight - so I wandered around the house trying to figure out what one it was and since the chirps were not constant I waited and waited, in the hall, then in the living room, then the back bedroom hallway - it drove me crazy. I finally took the batter out of all 6 of them and replaced them all the next day.
It was like a nightmare - would have made a good TV episode, maybe Cramer on Sienfield, trying to get the ladder out (in a stupor) and setting it up and taking it down at each alarm, tossing the batteries on the floor etc....

[Zoey]

A good rule of thumb to remember with smoke detectors is to change the batteries at daylight savings time, twice a year. Better safe than sorry! Of course, you could always put in those special $10 Lithium 10-year batteries!

I have a question.. Does everyone need to change the batteries?

I have never changed the batteries since I have moved in, they have never beeped (Well, once when I was cooking downstairs)

But, I was always under the assumption that they ran on electricity. Am I wrong?

[cw68]

I have a question.. Does everyone need to change the batteries?

I have never changed the batteries since I have moved in, they have never beeped (Well, once when I was cooking downstairs)

But, I was always under the assumption that they ran on electricity. Am I wrong?

Some do, if they are built-in to your alarm system like ours.

[Revolutionist]

Some do, if they are built-in to your alarm system like ours.

even if they run on electricity (as mine do) they will have a battery, in case the electricity is out when the fire starts.

[chris v]

Some do, if they are built-in to your alarm system like ours.

They still will have batteries in them though. If the house catches on fire and melts the wiring then what?

[Darthvader]

I have a question.. Does everyone need to change the batteries?

I have never changed the batteries since I have moved in, they have never beeped (Well, once when I was cooking downstairs)

But, I was always under the assumption that they ran on electricity. Am I wrong?

Even the ones that run on electricity should be changed after a few years, they aren't made to last forever. And you should also get a Carbon Monoxide detector as well.

[mylo]

I think some strategically launched shoes, cellphone, or nightstand (in that order) would have cured the beeping at 5am.

This is why I just replace the batteries during daylight savings. Never have to put up with that unexpected beep.

[Zoey]

Oh my goodness, Well I will check if they have batteries when I get home tonight!

That is quite scarey!!

Arrrrggggghhhhhhh

[TawnyK]

Even the ones that run on electricity should be changed after a few years, they aren't made to last forever. And you should also get a Carbon Monoxide detector as well.

I have the electricity ones and yes, they have batteries.....My apartment also has flashing strobes lights and a carbon monoxide detector. The batteries need to be changed in the smoke detectors but not the others. We have been here for 3 years and changed batteries due to chirping once and that was probably last year so maybe if you have the electric smoke detectors they don't run out of batteries as fast?

On a side note, 2 Halloweens ago my love and I bought a fog machine and had the brilliant idea to *ahem* be romantic in the fog. Well, just a word to the other freaks out there.....fog machines trip smoke detectors. It was strange when the strobes started to go off BEFORE the smoke detectors and we just looked at each other confused. Then we were scrambling to get dressed as the shrill beeping started followed by the screams of our children who thought the house was on fire....

We had to thumb tack dark colored Tshirts over the strobes after we got everything settled because only the fire department or the property management can reset the strobe lights....

Moral of story.....Fog Machine WooHoo plus smoke detectors= NOT ROMANTIC.