Oh hell, that picture hit me in the gut. I have two of those exact things sitting in my closet and every time I think about fixing them I just want to cry. Whoever designed these clearly hated future owners.
Parts are impossible to find, the screws strip in 0.3 seconds, and of course the cheap plastic decides to crumble right where it matters. I swear manufacturers do this on purpose so you buy a new one.
I’ll probably procrastinate for a month, then tear one apart at 2 AM with a soldering iron and too much coffee. If it works, I pretend it was a planned restoration. If not, well, eBay scavenging spree it is.
They run off batteries, using either isotope decay or light sensor (or both)
I actually have one hanging off my ceiling right now, it’s battery was fine, but it tripped likely due to dust or a spider on the optical sensor. It went off at 2am, network sent them all off, took me 10m to find the right one I wasn’t about to just blow it out and out put it back on the ceiling :)
Depends on model. Almost all older ones does (using radiation from the isotope to electrically charge smoke particles that pass through, which then can be detected by a sensor).
The A-241 does not charge the particles, it ionizes the air in a small chamber that allows a steady current. Any smoke particles disrupt these currents to set off the alarm.
Don’t know what it’s like where you live but around here if they are old enough to fall apart they aren’t to code anyway. They need replacing like every two years, I think.
Afaik, it’s not recommended to have them in kitchens, because harmless culinary mistakes can set them off so people end up disabling them in annoyance. You have to have one in a common area on every floor, but ideally not the kitchen.
Oh hell, that picture hit me in the gut. I have two of those exact things sitting in my closet and every time I think about fixing them I just want to cry. Whoever designed these clearly hated future owners.
Parts are impossible to find, the screws strip in 0.3 seconds, and of course the cheap plastic decides to crumble right where it matters. I swear manufacturers do this on purpose so you buy a new one.
I’ll probably procrastinate for a month, then tear one apart at 2 AM with a soldering iron and too much coffee. If it works, I pretend it was a planned restoration. If not, well, eBay scavenging spree it is.
Bot
Parts?
Anyhow, they have a 10 year lifetime. You can’t repair it.
Don’t these things run off of decaying isotopes? I don’t think you can fix that
They run off batteries, using either isotope decay or light sensor (or both)
I actually have one hanging off my ceiling right now, it’s battery was fine, but it tripped likely due to dust or a spider on the optical sensor. It went off at 2am, network sent them all off, took me 10m to find the right one I wasn’t about to just blow it out and out put it back on the ceiling :)
“Jerry, we have thousands of warheads full of plutonium”
where there’s a will there’s a way
If I could turn back time, if I could find a way
I’d take back those words that have hurt you
Depends on model. Almost all older ones does (using radiation from the isotope to electrically charge smoke particles that pass through, which then can be detected by a sensor).
Many newer ones are optical.
The A-241 does not charge the particles, it ionizes the air in a small chamber that allows a steady current. Any smoke particles disrupt these currents to set off the alarm.
Don’t know what it’s like where you live but around here if they are old enough to fall apart they aren’t to code anyway. They need replacing like every two years, I think.
Seven to ten years, depending on manufacturer. The newer ones use a lithium battery and last ten years.
Our floor plan + regulations made for a stupid setup. All three bedrooms and hallway require an alarm. All 4 are within 8’ of each other.
And there isn’t one in the kitchen!
The ones in the kitchen will be set off by burnt food… Leading to people disabling the alarm anyway.
In your kitchen you can get heat sensitive fire alarms instead.
Afaik, it’s not recommended to have them in kitchens, because harmless culinary mistakes can set them off so people end up disabling them in annoyance. You have to have one in a common area on every floor, but ideally not the kitchen.