Last night Addie and I were just talking about going to bed and I said “I think I hear a chirping smoke detector!” She listened for a second, didn’t hear it and said “No!” Then we both heard and it and went on a search. There are 7 on the main level and though I didn’t count, there are 6 or 7 in the basement. My fear was that it was in the master bedroom and there are 12′ ceilings down there. No way was I going to be able to dig oaut a ladder tall enough to reach it, nor would I probably even be able to get the ladder up the stairs.
We went first to the master bedroom and we were both standing there, staring at the ceiling, waiting for the next chirp. It wasn’t that one! There’s one in the hall and one in Addie’s bedroom and they aren’t 4′ apart. When they’re that close, it’s hard to see which one is doing it so Addie went in her room, closed the door, and I stood in the hall. Not those. We went to the third main level bedroom. Not that one. Addie said “I think it’s coming from the kitchen!” We went in there – no alarm in the kitchen, dining room or breakfast room . . thank goodness. I never understood alarms in the kitchen or near the kitchen. I see why you might need one but they go off so often from cooking that most I’ve ever had never had batteries in them.
While looking around in the kitchen area, Addie said “I believe it’s coming from the basement.” We both went downstairs and yep, the basement family room alarm was chirping. Thank goodness the ceilings aren’t high in there so I was able to bring my little kitchen 2 step folding stool down there and get it down. I didn’t have any 9v batteries so I just took the battery out and told Vince when he’s here next, we’re changing ALL the batteries.
I was very thankful the dead battery alert wasn’t in the rooms where I couldn’t reach it!
Donna Williams says
We used to have one too near the kitchen in a previous house. We ended up calling it the bread alarm because almost to the minute that darned thing would go off and scare the you know what out if us. We couldn’t disarm it because it served a large area. Glad we don’t have that anymore.
Judy Laquidara says
I never understood those so close to the kitchen. I’ve had them before and I’d set them off with just about every meal. My parents had one right outside the guest bathroom and every time I’d get out of a hot shower, it would go off. No smoke — just steam. They’re invaluable as far as a life saving tool but they can be so aggravating.
Susan Torrens says
We found smoke dectectors with 10 year lithium batteries…….
vivoaks says
My sister recently bought a modular home and recently there was a short in her smoke detectors. They are all connected, and no way to turn off just one, so they ALL turn on when one is triggered. My 98-year old dad and 87-year old mom live with her, and those things blared for hours before someone from the place she bought her home was able to come turn them off!!! He finally got them off, (thank goodness it was during the day and during the work-week, so someone was available to come!) and said he’d have to replace the entire thing to fix it…. Be thanful you only had ONE go off!! 🙂
Judy Laquidara says
Good grief. Sometimes technology gets ahead of itself. We’ve had smoke alarms that were hard wired and had battery backups but they’r kinda permanently attached to the wall so when it’s time to change the batteries, you can’t get them down to do it and I’m too short, even on most ladders we keep inside to get up there and change the battery while it’s still attached to the wall or ceiling but I won’t complain about having to do that any more after what happened to your sister.
DANNA UYEHARA says
If you call the Fire Department non-emergency line, they will come out and put the batteries in for you. They have done it for me twice.
Judy Laquidara says
Chad and Nicole are here often enough and with as many alarms as we have, I’ll get them to do it if one goes out before Vince gets here. We have very rural fire departments, maybe all volunteer for all I know, so I don’t want to bother them but that’s great to know if I ever needed that service. Thanks.
JustGail says
We have the kind that run off electric and are wired together – HATE them! DH or DS will work on things in garage and set them all off, spiders build webs in garage or attic detectors and they all go off (always at 2am it seems), cleaning the oven or making roasted tomatoes sets them all off, and you can’t see the lights that are supposed to let you know which one is being set off or having the low backup battery complaining. If we ever do have a fire, they’ll do me no good as I’ll probably ignore them. It wouldn’t be so bad if they’d put the lights were you can see them and make the low battery chirp more than once a minute! I’m happy for you that only one of yours went off and you were able to get it turned off. And that it was before bed and not 2am!
Judy Laquidara says
Really! I was beginning to believe it was a safety feature that they only went off at 2 a.m.