Lets talk wired smoke detectors

[Stangkiller]

Alright guys, I need a recommendation. My 7 installed Kidde 1275 wired smoke detectors have expired (10yrs). Id like to reuse the 120v wiring already in my house. But i have a few questions.

Are combo smoke/co detrctors worth the extra coin? ~$40 more
If going to a combo unit, i believe i must give up one type of smoke detection, (photoelectric)

Whats yalls recommendation?

Im currently considering the kidde i2010sco as a replacement...ntegrated liion battery so no more midnight chirping.

[DAB]

ours are hardwired, 120VAC with 9V battery backup. i'd go with that.

why would you have to give up a location?

[Stangkiller]

ours are hardwired, 120VAC with 9V battery backup. i'd go with that.

why would you have to give up a location?

My understanding is theres two types of smoke detection, ion and photoelectric, unless you go with the nest, you dont get CO detection with both types if smoke detection, you get just ion plus the CO detrction.

[DAB]

ok, didn't know you were talking about CO (carbon monoxide for Spence).

we have a CO monitor separate from the smoke detectors. keep it plugged into an outlet down low in the BR, it too has a 9V battery backup.

[VITE1]

You should check with your local government. Some places now require CO and smoke detectors be installed as replacement and new.

I had to at my old home in NH.

[lspencer534]

ok, didn't know you were talking about CO (carbon monoxide for Spence).

we have a CO monitor separate from the smoke detectors. keep it plugged into an outlet down low in the BR, it too has a 9V battery backup.

CO is the postal abbreviation for Colorado. Carbon dioxide would be CM.

[Thunder22]

I just ordered 5 of these for my house last week:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ECX0VVY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[6spdC6]

Alright guys, I need a recommendation. My 7 installed Kidde 1275 wired smoke detectors have expired (10yrs). Id like to reuse the 120v wiring already in my house. But i have a few questions.

Are combo smoke/co detrctors worth the extra coin? ~$40 more
If going to a combo unit, i believe i must give up one type of smoke detection, (photoelectric)

Whats yalls recommendation?

I'm currently considering the kidde i2010sco as a replacement...ntegrated liion battery so no more midnight chirping.




We have 6 hardwired with 9 volt (in each unit,)Battery back up smoke detectors. 4 upstairs and 2 down stairs, one in the garage the other in the basement proper. We also have 2 ten year Battery only CO detectors one up one down. Both systems as CO was nor required when house was built.

The 6 smoke dictators are about ready to be replaced!

I also will have to find out about combined detectors, but smoke and CO work on different heights where they are installed according to all I have read.

[DAB]

We have 6 hardwired with 9 volt (in each unit,)Battery back up smoke detectors. 4 upstairs and 2 down stairs, one in the garage the other in the basement proper. We also have 2 ten year Battery only CO detectors one up one down. Both systems as CO was nor required when house was built.

The 6 smoke dictators are about ready to be replaced!

I also will have to find out about combined detectors, but smoke and CO work on different heights where they are installed according to all I have read.

smoke is warm and rises, so smoke detectors go up high.

CO is a breathing threat, so we keep our detectors at about 16-18" above ground (lower level outlet height). biggest threat is when you are sleeping, so you want to know the level where your head is.

[Jeff '79]

ok, didn't know you were talking about CO (carbon monoxide for Spence).

we have a CO monitor separate from the smoke detectors. keep it plugged into an outlet down low in the BR, it too has a 9V battery backup.

Same here..
Why waste the coin on multiple Co2 units?
Throw one in where you sleep and call it a day.

[Stangkiller]

Same here..
Why waste the coin on multiple Co2 units?
Throw one in where you sleep and call it a day.

Because first time parent with baby due in 8 weeks :leaving: im that sucker paying for all sorts of overpriced safety gear.

[Stangkiller]

I just ordered 5 of these for my house last week:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ECX0VVY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Im looking at basically the same one, but with the non-replacable battery, so no more chirping that inevidably starts in the middle of the night.


smoke is warm and rises, so smoke detectors go up high.

CO is a breathing threat, so we keep our detectors at about 16-18" above ground (lower level outlet height). biggest threat is when you are sleeping, so you want to know the level where your head is.

this brings up a good point. The baby room is above the garage. Say a car remote starts inside the garage, thus spewing carbon monoxide in the house and rooms above the garage. If the CO sensor is on the ceiling, would the CO be at lethal levels before setting off the alarm at the ceiling?

[DAB]

any holes in the walls or ceiling in the garage?

pick another room?

be sure to never start a car with the garage door closed.

disable your remote start?

all my garages have been separate from the house, not tucked under a living space (not a design I'm a fan of.).

i'd just get stand along CO monitors for each BR, as well as the garage and near anything else that burns fuel (furnace, water heater).

i have one in our BR, one in the upstairs guesthouse near the boiler/water heater, and one in my shop near the boiler.

you won't smell it or taste it.

we had one go off last winter. we had a fire in the fireplace, it burned down to embers, so i closed the damper before we went to bed. around 2AM - BEEP!!! , woke me up, took me a second to figure out what was going on. opened the window and door for a bit (brrrr) to air things out. lesson learned. leave the damper open until morning.

[snide]

CO is the postal abbreviation for Colorado. Carbon dioxide would be CM.

CO is carbon monoxide. Carbon dioxide is CO2. :slap:

[Black94lt1]

I just replaced all of mine with these Kidde Hardwire 120-Volt Inter-Connectable Smoke Alarm with Battery Backup (6-Pack)-21006373 - The Home Depot (http://www.homedepot.com/p/Kidde-Hardwire-120-Volt-Inter-Connectable-Smoke-Alarm-with-Battery-Backup-6-Pack-21006373/100179554) No CO, we use separate detectors for that as we have then lower in the room, like DAB said, plugged into the outlet.

As for the battery, since they are AC except for when the power is out, a regular 9V backup lasts for ever, honestly I don't know that I changed my last ones in 10 years so I didn't see the advantage of the lithium battery option

[Aerovette]

Another lesson learned...don't put one near the dog's bed. Their farts WILL set it off. I know this. :D

My wife's hairspray would also set it off.

[Dave]

Im looking at basically the same one, but with the non-replacable battery, so no more chirping that inevidably starts in the middle of the night.




this brings up a good point. The baby room is above the garage. Say a car remote starts inside the garage, thus spewing carbon monoxide in the house and rooms above the garage. If the CO sensor is on the ceiling, would the CO be at lethal levels before setting off the alarm at the ceiling?


Current International Residential Building code requires a combo (or separate CO) detector on each level outside of the sleeping area.

Bedroom: Smoke
Hallway: Combo
Main living area: Smoke (unless it's serving as the "outside of the bedroom" unit)

CO is very slightly lighter than air, so the near-ceiling detectors are fine.

[Rob]

I replaced all of ours with these

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PC5TJJQ/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have a separate carbon monoxide / dioxide detector upstairs and down.

:seasix:

[VatorMan]

All of my detectors are wired into my home alarm system. They operate off of the system 55 AH back up battery. That's good enough for one week of system coverage. One thing I've learned is combo detectors are OK for basic coverage but excel at nothing.

I installed the home alarm system myself. It's the ELK M1 gold.

M1 Gold Cross Platform Control® (http://www.elkproducts.com/product-catalog/m1-gold-cross-platform-control)

This unit is capable of alarm and home automation. Best thing is you can use wireless devices. I recommend all fire devices and siren to be hardwired. This system can also e-mail and text you. So basically I'm my own monitoring service. While I'm away, I set up my dogsitter for alerts. It has a great app that you can use from anywhere in the world.

[Milton Fox]

Current International Residential Building code requires a combo (or separate CO) detector on each level outside of the sleeping area.

Bedroom: Smoke
Hallway: Combo
Main living area: Smoke (unless it's serving as the "outside of the bedroom" unit)

CO is very slightly lighter than air, so the near-ceiling detectors are fine.

What is your source for this statement? Never heard it before. :island14:


Seems it is all over the internet now - when did it change? :island14:

[VatorMan]

ok, didn't know you were talking about CO (carbon monoxide for Spence).

we have a CO monitor separate from the smoke detectors. keep it plugged into an outlet down low in the BR, it too has a 9V battery backup.

BTW Dab, meant to add this: CO detectors should be above your sleeping level. Not low. CO is lighter than air.

CMDP | Helping you position Carbon Monoxide Detectors safely (http://www.carbonmonoxidedetectorplacement.com/)

If not, combo Smoke/CO detectors wouldn't work right ?

[syf350]

What is your source for this statement? Never heard it before. :island14:


Seems it is all over the internet now - when did it change? :island14:

last code cycle. originally we thought it needed to be at breathing level. we now know that ceiling height is fine and is as good, because technology.

Commercially we have gone away from ion detection as photo detection technology has greatly improved, and we dont have to deal with the radioactive bs of ionization.

Co detection currently has a shelf life of about 5 years, so you will be replacing combo detectors sooner than the recommended 10 for smoke if you go that route.

[Milton Fox]

I hadnt bought any replacement combos because I thought it was just a gimmick from the manufacturers.

Is the CO from car exhaust different from other combustibles then?

There is a lot of long term messages saying CO is heavier than air and I cant recall seeing any new ads or info for this lighter than air science. I havent been getting any NFPA updates for about 4 years now, but dont recall even seeing or hearing about a consideration for this change in monitoring systems before then.

:waiting:

[Stangkiller]

So I did go with the kidde i2010sco, $41 a piece, CO and fire detection, it uses voices to tell you what kind of alarm (fire or CO). And supposedly no more battery chirps for 10 years. I had all 7 swapped out in probably 45 minutes, moving the ladder took the most time.

[VatorMan]

I’d still have a CO monitor at sleeping level.

[Stangkiller]

One failed already, one phonecall, 15 minutes of that on hold and i have a new detector on its way.

[Jeff '79]

One failed already, one phonecall, 15 minutes of that on hold and i have a new detector on its way.

Is it this one ?

https://inmarmarketaction.com/kidde217/kidde-us-entry/kidde217-us-form/?eventid=%7bC98F0313-49A0-E611-80F4-5065F38ACB61%7d

[Stangkiller]

Is it this one ?

https://inmarmarketaction.com/kidde217/kidde-us-entry/kidde217-us-form/?eventid=%7bC98F0313-49A0-E611-80F4-5065F38ACB61%7d

Not exactly the one that failed was made July of 2017