Mains Smoke alarms

[AdamW]

I would like to fit one or two mains-powered fire/smoke alarms in my first-floor maisonette. I have an "open-plan" layout, i.e. the kitchen opens out onto the living room, and the stairs from my front door run straight up into the living room.

I had a battery-operated smoke alarm for about a month, mounted on the ceiling at the top of my stairs. I got far too angry with it going off every time I cooked that I removed it. It was probably causing more danger as I would have to leave whatever I was cooking, walk over to the other side of the living room, remove the battery and come back again.

What type of alarm should I get to avoid these nuisance soundings? The one I tried before was one of the alpha-particle ones with the Americium source.

What about photo-electric or heat detectors? I am wondering if a heat detector would do much good as surely they only detect fires close to them (i.e. in a boiler cupboard or similar).

Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[IanDB]

Errrm. Stop burning things? It's not the detector's fault if you're creating smoke although you could see if anybody markets a special detector that differentiates between real smoke and AdamW cooking smoke.

Can't you fit an extractor above the cooker? It gets worse doesn't it.

 

[AdamW]

Seriously, I have had them set off by steam!

And it's not just me, I know other people with the same problem. Which is why I am not asking their advice cos their alarms must be rubbish too!

Extractor isn't an option, my kitchen is on the first floor and i have no access to a ladder (or a place to store one if I bought my own) so I can't install one.

 

[Dragonrider]

This is why you wouldn't normally have a smoke detector in a kitchen. Mine are in the hallways, can still one off when doing bacon! I do like my crispy!

 

[breezer]

as has been mentioned the smoke detectors are doing their job.

optical smoke detectors work by shinning an infra red light at almost 360 degrees (almost parallel) to a infra red receiver, when particles enter the chamber they reflect the light in all directions, the sensor sees the light and off it goes.

ionisation work by having two separate chambers(one sealed the other not) in these chambers are a radio active material (ameicium 241) when particles enter the chamber they attach to the particles so altering the amount of curent drawn,(voltage drops) the sealed chamber is used for reference and so the difference is detected and so off goes the detector

small particles can be anything that can get inside the detector, be they solid or liquid

heat detectors are spit into two types fixed temp and rate of rise

fixed temp well say no more

rate of rise detects the temp if it increases slowly it ignores it, but if it suddenly changes dramitaclly off it goes.

then form tyco is the carbon monoxide detector it is similar but not quite the same as an ordainairy carbon monoxide detector, but it is far more sensative.

each have their own advantages / disadvantages

optical being the cheapest

so the moral is dont burn the toast or use a steam iron under or near a detetor
(or hair spray, but we wont go there)

 

[phil_ballard]

My g/f and I went to her brother's wedding last weekend. In his speech he (bravely, I thought) made reference to his new wife's culinary skills:

"I need to teach her that the smoke alarm is not a kitchen timer"

and

"We want to move towards 'cordon bleu' rather than 'cordoned off'"

More seriously though, I believe you can get special detectors for kitchens, which have a different level/type of sensitivity?

 

[breezer]

heat

 

[pipme]

Be patient Adam, at least you know the thing is working !
We have two (battery) hallway and landing.
All of which is no use to you ...

I once had a window mounted extractor fan ... same reasons you have given.
Glazier came and cut hole from inside as near perfectly sized and round as could be, in small opening light !
Was surprisingly cheap, not really nasty ? but effective. Given the amount of grease and grime it attracted .. easily cleaned too !
I would do something pronto ... Whatever is setting off your alarm is slowly becoming imbedded into the fabric of your abode. Perhaps living with this, you will not notice the stealthy intrusion ... Your best friend may not even tell you.
I bet your dad, whom you said was a smoker(?), barely notices the smell of tobacco .. but you do so !!

P