Timely smoke alarm reminder

[firefighter]

It's getting cold, heaters will be coming on etc.....

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/video/news/video.cfm?c_id=1501138&gal_cid=1501138&gallery_id=117156

Had'nt been for the neighbours, well.....

Seriously, they are'nt all that hard to put up and check. DO IT!

Ohh, and also, get insurance......now. This stuff does happen.

[steve_t]

Daylight savings = April 3rd = regular time to check smoke alarms.
How long would the average 9V battery last in a smoke alarm? Sorry, I know that's like asking how many km will i get from my bike tyres :shutup:
Do I just test the battery every daylight savings change? Or do I need to actually change it with some regularity?

[firefighter]

Daylight savings = April 3rd = regular time to check smoke alarms.
How long would the average 9V battery last in a smoke alarm? Sorry, I know that's like asking how many km will i get from my bike tyres :shutup:
Do I just test the battery every daylight savings change? Or do I need to actually change it with some regularity?

I personally check mine every couple of months. Overkill, but just a good habit. Could'nt really say how long they last but they should beep often when going flat.

I think the current idea is to test every daylight savings, but personally I just do it whenever I remember to, which as I said is often. Would have to be one of the most preventable ways of dying now days I think.

A lot of people don't realise that we are programmed from the sleeping in caves with the fire going times to sleep through smoke and not wake to it.....and people think it will wake them.

Smoke alarms are like seatbelts, you should feel naked or unsafe without knowing they are in working order.

[steve_t]

Could'nt really say how long they last but they should beep often when going flat.

Oh yup. I remember now. They always start beeping 'low battery' in the middle of the night!


Smoke alarms are like seatbelts, you should feel naked or unsafe without knowing they are in working order.

'Should' being the operative word. Unfortunately, for the vast majority, ignorance is bliss

[firefighter]

'Should' being the operative word. Unfortunately, for the vast majority, ignorance is bliss

Absolutely, the stupid thing is, out west they are installed for free by the NZFS, all it takes is a phone call.......

I am of the opinion that there should be manslaughter charges against those who fail to install these inexpensive necessities in their homes and someone in their care ends up dying from smoke inhalation due to no smoke alarms waking them.....or at least some sort of repercussion.
I know losing everything is hard and a loved one is punishment enough, but still, what happens to the caregiver of a child who dies who did'nt have a seatbelt on? I don't see any real difference. The smoke alarm bit is actually worse really, that's something that just sits there happily functioning, with absolute minimal human interaction.

Well, that is just my opinion of-course.

[Latte]

Daylight savings = April 3rd = regular time to check smoke alarms.
How long would the average 9V battery last in a smoke alarm? Sorry, I know that's like asking how many km will i get from my bike tyres :shutup:
Do I just test the battery every daylight savings change? Or do I need to actually change it with some regularity?


Funnily enough we replaced all our smoke alarms with new ones about a year ago after some major renovations , some have needed replacing already (prob a rubbish battery supplied with the unit). Something to be wary of.

[steve_t]

Absolutely, the stupid thing is, out west they are installed for free by the NZFS, all it takes is a phone call.......


A lot of the chicks I knew in Dunedin would ring up the fire service to come and tend to/mount their smoke alarms cos they wanted to perv at the firemen. I reckon it could be a good marketing ploy targeting housewives :innocent:

[Swoop]

Strangely enough I had the "midnight beeping" the other night. Daylight savings must be about to end...

The Trusts have supplied every house in Waitakere with at least one alarm.

I use rechargeable 9v batteries from Dicky Smith and they last 6 months easily. They beep = they get recharged.

[Usarka]

Reminds me of this thread, still gives me a laugh!
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/107168-Revenge...?h

[JimO]

we had a close call a couple of years ago when a electric blanket controll shorted out, the blanket was off at the controll but on at the wall, it sparked out and set fire to a pillow next to my bed, luckily i rolled over and felt hot on my face and woke up, jumped out of bed and ran down stairs juggling a burning pillow, the 2 smoke alarms didnt go off unil i ran back upstairs to switch off the blanket


http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x67/jim157/DSCF1845.jpg

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x67/jim157/DSCF1843.jpg

[Mully]

The Fire Service supplies them?

So I've been buying mine, like a schmuck?

[steve_t]

With Daylight saving ending over the weekend, I thought I'd bump this and remind people to check/change the batteries in their smoke alarms or put some up.
This happens to coincide with the lead page in the Herald this morning
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10716949 entitled "For God's sake, get a smoke alarm" :yes:

[Edbear]

It's getting cold, heaters will be coming on etc.....

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/video/news/video.cfm?c_id=1501138&gal_cid=1501138&gallery_id=117156

Had'nt been for the neighbours, well.....

Seriously, they are'nt all that hard to put up and check. DO IT!

Ohh, and also, get insurance......now. This stuff does happen.


With Daylight saving ending over the weekend, I thought I'd bump this and remind people to check/change the batteries in their smoke alarms or put some up.
This happens to coincide with the lead page in the Herald this morning
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10716949 entitled "For God's sake, get a smoke alarm" :yes:

They are cheap enough at about $10 from the supermarket too. Best price I can do is $13.99.

[DangerMice]

Absolutely, the stupid thing is, out west they are installed for free by the NZFS, all it takes is a phone call.......

+1 to that. We rang today and they're going to send a truck around to install a couple. Because we have young kids they're even going to install one of those 10 year photoelectric (I think) ones. Our 3 year old is going to explode from excitement when he sees the truck roll into driveway. :yes:

Thanks NZFS!

[DangerMice]

The guys have just been and installed 5 free smoke alarms. NZFS rocks.

[Mekk]

A lot of people don't realise that we are programmed from the sleeping in caves with the fire going times to sleep through smoke and not wake to it.....and people think it will wake them.

I support your message but that sounds like a dubious explanation for why we sleep through smoke.

[firefighter]

I support your message but that sounds like a dubious explanation for why we sleep through smoke.

Ok, what's the reason then? I've always heard the same reasoning given, including on documentaries. I'm sure you have good grounds for thinking it dubious. It's a fact, most people will not wake to smoke, and this is always the reason given for it (I appreciate my wording of it all is far from spectacular, ignoring that I don't think it's an unreasonable explanation).

[Mekk]

Ok, what's the reason then? I've always heard the same reasoning given, including on documentaries. I'm sure you have good grounds for thinking it dubious. It's a fact, most people will not wake to smoke, and this is always the reason given for it (I appreciate my wording of it all is far from spectacular, ignoring that I don't think it's an unreasonable explanation).

As far as I know our whole sense of smell shuts down when we sleep, it doesn't just block smoke.

So whatever reason that's for, I doubt it's caused by cavemen's habits.

Cavemen didn't use Rexona but we still sleep through it.

[98tls]

A worthy thread,ashamed to admit it but there one of those things i every year say to myself "will get some tommorow",happy to say i bought 3 today(because of this thread),and yep there up and working.Cheers.

[Edbear]

A worthy thread,ashamed to admit it but there one of those things i every year say to myself "will get some tommorow",happy to say i bought 3 today(because of this thread),and yep there up and working.Cheers.

Goodonyermate! Now the trick is to make sure they never work again... :yes:

[98tls]

Goodonyermate! Now the trick is to make sure they never work again... :yes:

Oh dont worry about that mate they will work,i like my toast black.:facepalm:

[Edbear]

Oh dont worry about that mate they will work,i like my toast black.:facepalm:

I find they're handy for letting you know you need to go check on the BBQ... :innocent:

[98tls]

I find they're handy for letting you know you need to go check on the BBQ... :innocent:

I reckon they will be quite handy for detecting the "its time to get off the couch and dry the dishes" thing,sometimes i look up from the computer and swear theres smoke coming outta her ears.:yes:

[geoffm]

How long would the average 9V battery last in a smoke alarm? Sorry, I know that's like asking how many km will i get from my bike tyres :shutup:


Well, according to a long term research project at Uni of Canterbury (that was originally started at BRE in the UK) - up to 10 years for decentbatteries, http://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/Contexts/Fire/NZ-Research/Testing-smoke-alarm-batteries
I have some of Mike Spearpoint's papers on the subject somewhere...here is one http://fire.nist.gov/bfrlpubs/fire01/PDF/f01091.pdf
As I recall, cheap and nasty batteries last a year or 2 tops.