Forums > General Discussion   Shooting the breeze...

is there any such thing...

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Created by sn > 9 months ago, 27 Apr 2013
sn
WA, 2775 posts
27 Apr 2013 6:43PM
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as an impact resistant smoke detector?

I need a couple.

stephen

Skid
QLD, 1499 posts
27 Apr 2013 11:23PM
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I have to say I'm curious as to why it needs to be impact resistant?

Perhaps try contacting Chubb Fire Safety, I know they do fire protection for prisons, so if they exist I expect they would be installed there.
Good luck

sn
WA, 2775 posts
28 Apr 2013 1:16AM
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Skid said...
I have to say I'm curious as to why it needs to be impact resistant?


sandwichmaker cant reach the smoke alarms, so she turns them off with a broom............rather vigorously, usually while shouting "SHUT UP - SHUT UP"

Its actually quite entertaining to watch

As a consequence, the alarms need replacing on a fairly regular basis.
[I havent needed to buy a 9 volt battery in over 10 years]

I usually wait until Bumblings have them on special and get them 6 at a time, but I think the wife will throttle me if I dont do a proper fix soon.

stephen

wave knave
306 posts
28 Apr 2013 4:02AM
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Mark _australia
WA, 22377 posts
28 Apr 2013 5:16AM
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I am glad mine are not impact resistant.
Made it easier to smash the faulty one off the ceiling at 3am :)

Stephen, maybe a litte steel cage over each one with a hole where the button is. And a rubber tipped broom handle

FormulaNova
WA, 14670 posts
28 Apr 2013 6:26AM
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Are the smoke detectors in the right place?

Ever since I have lived in this house, there has been one in the kitchen and it goes off all the time with just a little bit of smoke from cooking. I think I might relocate it to the other side of the doorway into the loungeroom, so that it doesn't go off when cooking.

Luma
WA, 169 posts
28 Apr 2013 7:11AM
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Have you ever read what is written on the bottom of your smoke detectors. They have radioactive materials in them.

When I went to Battery World to ask if they had a radioactive free fire alarm that chap said no sorry they don't they need to be radioactive to detect the smoke. We then got talking and he told me that old folks like to use lithium batteries in them because that means they don't have to change them every year like most of us do on April Fools Day.

He said that the lithium batteries have to travel by truck as they are not allowed to be taken on airplanes.

(Hubby tried to stupidly resurect a lithium battery for one of the many gliders we have and luckily he'd just bought one of the protection glove things for a battery from Hobby king so when the batery exploded the flames only shot out in one direction and it was only half a metre away from him when it exploded. It took out a plane in front of it and it singed the wall that was 2 metres away from it. His guardian angel was on full alert thank goodness).

Is there any reaction that occurs with the lithium and the smoke detectors? Any link with home fires? Just thinking aloud.

Mark _australia
WA, 22377 posts
28 Apr 2013 8:24AM
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Lithium Ion batteries are prone to catching fire when incorrectly charged, or when used at their limits (they are able to discharge very high currents). The RC plane batteries are about 50x bigger capacity than anything you'd use in the home. Most RC peeps do charge in the firebag or box just in case, lucky your hubby did - but bit silly to try and resurrect a dead one, Li packs are bloody dangerous if you play with them

There is no chance that the 0.01g of radioisotope in a smoke detector would "react" with the battery that is not in contact with it.

Top marks from trying to start a conspiracy theory your post is exactly how it starts

Luma
WA, 169 posts
28 Apr 2013 8:33AM
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Top marks from trying to start a conspiracy theory your post is exactly how it starts


Thanks I try my best

Chris6791
WA, 3271 posts
28 Apr 2013 11:25AM
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Mark _australia said...

There is no chance that the 0.01g of radioisotope in a smoke detector would "react" with the battery that is not in contact with it.

Top marks from trying to start a conspiracy theory your post is exactly how it starts


This post got me curious and a Google search soon followed. One gram of the radioactive component used will apparently make around three million smoke detectors. So I don't reckon a jihadist will be making a dirty bomb out of smoke detectors anytime soon

And regarding the use of smoke detectors in prisons posted earlier. You will find that the detectors aren't in the cells where they can be easily accessed and tampered with, they will be tucked away out of sight in the ventilation/extraction ducting, sometimes even outside on the exhaust vents, minimal tampering and they can be maintained without going into the cell.

FormulaNova
WA, 14670 posts
28 Apr 2013 12:23PM
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Luma said...


Top marks from trying to start a conspiracy theory your post is exactly how it starts


Thanks I try my best



...and yes, you can get smoke detectors that are radio-active free. The photo-electric type don't use any.


Oh yes of course, smoke detectors aren't there to detect fires. They are there to start them, and are placed there by the insurance companies, as part of their scheme of world domination.

GypsyDrifter
WA, 2371 posts
28 Apr 2013 12:40PM
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Stick it on the wall

Luma
WA, 169 posts
28 Apr 2013 1:30PM
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FormulaNova said...
Luma said...


Top marks from trying to start a conspiracy theory your post is exactly how it starts


Thanks I try my best



...and yes, you can get smoke detectors that are radio-active free. The photo-electric type don't use any.


Oh yes of course, smoke detectors aren't there to detect fires. They are there to start them, and are placed there by the insurance companies, as part of their scheme of world domination.



You got me thinking - The top paying jobs in London after the dot com crash were banking and insurance.

sn
WA, 2775 posts
28 Apr 2013 2:25PM
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GypsyDrifter said...
Stick it on the wall


tried that.........it gets hammered pretty regularly

stephen

sn
WA, 2775 posts
28 Apr 2013 3:27PM
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Luma said...Have you ever read what is written on the bottom of your smoke detectors.

I went to Battery World........ talking and he told me that old folks like to use lithium batteries in them because that means they don't have to change them every year like most of us do on April Fools Day.

He said that the lithium batteries have to travel by truck as they are not allowed to be taken on airplanes.


I am fairly sure that batteries for smoke detectors are preferably standard batteries- and not lithium, alkaline or any of the high performance types.
iirc, it has something to how the batteries discharge over time.

Regarding transporting lithium batteries, I recently had to deliver a new MRI machine to a medical centre, I got the job as it is classed as dangerous goods due to the lithium batteries and compressed helium.
Also had to take an oil exploration sensor gizmo out past Innaminka again as Dangerous goods as it had lithium batteries inside.

stephen.

FormulaNova
WA, 14670 posts
28 Apr 2013 7:14PM
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sn said...
Luma said...Have you ever read what is written on the bottom of your smoke detectors.

I went to Battery World........ talking and he told me that old folks like to use lithium batteries in them because that means they don't have to change them every year like most of us do on April Fools Day.

He said that the lithium batteries have to travel by truck as they are not allowed to be taken on airplanes.


I am fairly sure that batteries for smoke detectors are preferably standard batteries- and not lithium, alkaline or any of the high performance types.
iirc, it has something to how the batteries discharge over time.

Regarding transporting lithium batteries, I recently had to deliver a new MRI machine to a medical centre, I got the job as it is classed as dangerous goods due to the lithium batteries and compressed helium.
Also had to take an oil exploration sensor gizmo out past Innaminka again as Dangerous goods as it had lithium batteries inside.

stephen.



As Mark Australia alluded to, there's lithium and there's lithium when it comes to batteries.

Lithium Ion tends to have problems with rapid discharge, but we have had "lithium" cells around for a long time. I think Lithium Polymer cells are the most used for RC aircraft, and also seem to have a problem if shorted.

A lithium 9v battery in your smoke detector is not a problem, and safe AFAIK. The same cannot be said for Lithium Ion or Lithium Polymer when treated badly.

Take a look at this wiki and it shows you the Lithium chemistry for coin cells, and its the same for 9V batteries.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Button_cell

waynos
TAS, 171 posts
28 Apr 2013 10:18PM
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i don't reply to too many threads but this one I do have some expertise in. For a start don't mount any smoke detectors on the wall because as a rule that will be the last place the smoke will travel, obviously as heat rises it hits the ceiling and then moves across. If you ever get to watch a video of how fast a fire can take hold in a room then you will see that having the detectors in the right place are critical.

Domestic smoke detectors are made in two general formats. Ionisation and Photo-electric. Ionisation detect fast burning fires from natural sources such as wood and paper with large smoke particles, Photo- electric detect smouldering fires from synthetic products like seat cushions and plastics with small smoke particles.

If your sandwich maker is destroying them then have you got the right detector in the right place. If you are buying them from a hardware store then probably not. Ionisation near the kitchen and photo electric everywhere else is the rule of thumb. Go to your nearest electrical wholesaler ( where electricians buy their stuff ) and they should set you straight.

Annoys the hell out of me when people buy the cheapest detector they can find when you consider what's at stake. Your home and family are surely worth the best you can afford.

Having said that any detector can false alarm but the more you pay the less trouble you should have. Without pimping brands buy a Clipsal, Brooks, or PSA. They have been in the game way before anyone else. Not broom proof though

Luma
WA, 169 posts
28 Apr 2013 9:02PM
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waynos said...
i don't reply to too many threads but this one I do have some expertise in. For a start don't mount any smoke detectors on the wall because as a rule that will be the last place the smoke will travel, obviously as heat rises it hits the ceiling and then moves across. If you ever get to watch a video of how fast a fire can take hold in a room then you will see that having the detectors in the right place are critical.

Domestic smoke detectors are made in two general formats. Ionisation and Photo-electric. Ionisation detect fast burning fires from natural sources such as wood and paper with large smoke particles, Photo- electric detect smouldering fires from synthetic products like seat cushions and plastics with small smoke particles.

If your sandwich maker is destroying them then have you got the right detector in the right place. If you are buying them from a hardware store then probably not. Ionisation near the kitchen and photo electric everywhere else is the rule of thumb. Go to your nearest electrical wholesaler ( where electricians buy their stuff ) and they should set you straight.

Annoys the hell out of me when people buy the cheapest detector they can find when you consider what's at stake. Your home and family are surely worth the best you can afford.

Having said that any detector can false alarm but the more you pay the less trouble you should have. Without pimping brands buy a Clipsal, Brooks, or PSA. They have been in the game way before anyone else. Not broom proof though


thanks great info

Sailhack
VIC, 5000 posts
29 Apr 2013 11:10AM
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Agree with Waynos, we have hard-wired SDs with Li-Ion backup batts.

Also, not 100% sure about other states, but in Vic, there's no requirement to have a SD anywhere near a kitchen. They need to be located near bedrooms only (ie; passage between bed doors within certain distances, off entry where beds may be located), stairwells etc. The misconception that they need to be where you cook your food is incorrect. They need to be near sleeping areas or habitable areas isolated by sound to where the SDs are located.

See basic diagrams in the attached link for Class 1A buildings.

www.fire.nsw.gov.au/page.php?id=443



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Forums > General Discussion   Shooting the breeze...


"is there any such thing..." started by sn