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Originally posted by arcwelder76:

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Originally posted by Skins2881:
Arc, we will have to disagree. Smoke detectors are something I feel strongly about. Doing nothing but service work I end up changing hundreds of smoke detectors every year. Sealed lithium ion battery smoke detectors fail a lot in my experience. The battery savings are a lie too, the hardwired ones don't use their batteries unless you have a power outage, so you really don't even need to change them every year. More like every 3-4 years and I've seen many go eight+ years before they start chirping for low battery.

I also don't subscribe to the theory that alarm company SDs are enough. SDs should be in every bedroom. Do you really want a fire in a bedroom with closed door to get to the point that sets off hallway smoke detectors? If you wait that long your escape path is likely blocked.

I always tell my customers, alarm company SDs are nice, they protect your stuff, but hardwired ones protect you. Great to have in addition to real ones, but not as a substitute.

Like I said, in my house it's low voltage units on a monitored alarm system.

As far as other peoples homes, I just give them what they want. For some reason I've had a lot of clients plagued by repeated false alarms on the line voltage units. If the sealed lithium units have been failing, it's not something I've had warrantee calls about.

There are four primary things that cause them to fail.

1) Bad connections. Can be from poor twist on the wires at the smoke det; paint on the wires; or they are fed from outlets or switches that utilize stab-in connections or poorly tightened screw terminals.

2) Power quality issues. Like any electronics they a are damaged by surges, brown outs, lightening, etc.

3) Dust. This can be from poorly cut in boxes and air infiltration or from the inside of house.

4) Bad luck/Units made at 4PM on a Friday.

Being monitored is great. As I tell my customers, they will send the fire department to your house and save your stuff, especially great when your not home. But to save yourself you need properly working smoke detectors in every bedroom and all required locations. These will alert the fastest, in a fire seconds count. The fire department will not be the ones to save you, properly working smoke detectors and an evacuation plan will. I would have zero problems with alarm company units if they'd just install them in all locations required by NFPA. Until they do that they are just a back up to the normal ones and a way to keep your house from burning to the ground hopefully.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Skins2881,

Ill interject a fireman’s observation for what it’s worth here...as said, smoke detectors save lives. The vast majority of fatal fires i’ve been personally involved with over my career have had either no smoke detection at all OR detectors that have dead batteries and were not operable...I’m talking probably 98% of the fatalities are due to that reason. We will save your ass if we can get notified in time but that means someone else has to realize there is a fire and make the call....odds aren’t good at 3 am until fire vents out the windows or through the roof so others will notice.
My experience is that detectors last around seven years until their sensors go bad but that is widely variable depending on numerous conditions. They have a manufacture date on the back plate most of the time so if your unsure of their age it’s easy to figure out. change batteries twice a year without fail...cheap insurance...even in the hard wired systems...power goes out you want that battery....we’ve had fires start in the electrical box, knock out the power to the house as it got worse and you can guess what happens next.

cgode, thanks for your input, I'd love to hear anything that other firefighters have to offer.

This adds to my case (and personal mission) to have smoke detectors installed in all NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) required locations.

When seconds count police firefighters are minutes away.

Can I add one more point? not really smoke detector related but Skins mentioned a plan of escape when your working detectors are trying to save your life. Have two different escape plans out of your house, plan A and plan B....your first choice may not be an option if the fire is taking over that escape route...have a second plan....AND....have a meeting place outside your house pre-planned where everyone goes...and stays...once they have exited the structure...mailbox,shed,tree...preferably in sight of the driveway/front of house....and discuss it with the entire family...they may think your crazy but do it anyway!
This point is a little selfish on my part...but when I arrive at your humble abode and it’s charged with smoke it’s decision time for me as a shift commander...if I don’t know without a doubt everyone is accounted for, I have to assume someone is still inside...and as a result, my risk assessment is high...I put my guys at much greater risk by ordering aggressive operations when I shouldn’t have to...your house on fire is dangerous enough all by itself and I don’t like taking unnecessary risks....it’s much nicer to have all my ducks in a row before I send my guys or myself through your doorway without a hose line looking for someone that isn’t in there.

We had a family evacuate one early morning, school age son exited back of house and stayed in back yard....dad thought he was still inside and re-entered...he didn’t make it back out.