Will heat make a smoke detector go off?

[Bowen]

will a smoke alarms can go off with heat. According to my view a smoke alarms just go off with smoke. so please share with me if you have any experienced about it? But I must suggest to all of you that we all should maintain the smoke alarms and must change the battery after a short time.

 

[Leejosepho]

I am not aware of a smoke detector responding to heat, but I have one that can detect my popcorn pan on the stove even when no smoke is visible! And lately, it occasionally goes off in the middle of the night for no reason I can detect.

 

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[DonL]

will a smoke alarms can go off with heat. According to my view a smoke alarms just go off with smoke. so please share with me if you have any experienced about it? But I must suggest to all of you that we all should maintain the smoke alarms and must change the battery after a short time.

They will alarm from Heat and Cold temperature.

It is more of a Battery Voltage thing, than the electronics itself.

When the Battery gets weak, then heat and cold can affect the battery voltage, and in turn strange may happen within the detector.

I have seen this happen with the detectors in my attic.

It is best to use a Aux powered detector, because the Batteries are a pain to change when in a remote location.

 

[Jimbo]

Read the manufacturers manual. They all recommend to NOT install near an HVAC supply or return. This may be more a function of moving dust, etc. But expect some nuisance alarms.

 

[Cookie]

With the heat wave we have been having, one of my smoke alarms is driving me crazy! I have changed the battery 2 times and decided the reason for the beep, beep, beep, beep is due to the heat in the house. I do not have whole house air and this smoke alarm sits on the second floor and we all know, heat rises, eh. But, at least I know it is working.

 

[BobL43]

With the heat wave we have been having, one of my smoke alarms is driving me crazy! I have changed the battery 2 times and decided the reason for the beep, beep, beep, beep is due to the heat in the house. I do not have whole house air and this smoke alarm sits on the second floor and we all know, heat rises, eh. But, at least I know it is working.

maybe changing the battery a 3rd time will fix it. Was it Einstein that said the definition of an idiot is doing things over and over the same way expecting it to turn out differently? Just making a joke Cookie, not calling you one.


Try installing a new detector in that location and see if the new one falses out

 

[Cookie]

You better not be calling me one or no foil hat for you, quirky is okay, LOL.... Now, honestly, Bob... Now, I did switch around the smoke alarms, seriously, testing this out, and it beeps in that location. It is above a stairwell, between a set of bedrooms. Maybe, it is the humidity? It has been 96F for days on end, outside temp. It hit 100 a few times here. I am waiting to see when this heat wave breaks if the alarm in that location, will stop beeping. I'm telling ya, hot as hell here.

Ahh, I did a quick search and found this. On this, #10 could very well apply since, it has been very hot and very humid, and the location of this smoke alarm is between 3 rooms, one is the bath. Humidity might be the problem right now.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5568401_troubleshoot-smoke-detector-problems.html

I cannot be the only person whom this is happening to right now with this weather.

 

[DonL]

You better not be calling me one or no foil hat for you, quirky is okay, LOL.... Now, honestly, Bob... Now, I did switch around the smoke alarms, seriously, testing this out, and it beeps in that location. It is above a stairwell, between a set of bedrooms. Maybe, it is the humidity? It has been 96F for days on end, outside temp. It hit 100 a few times here. I am waiting to see when this heat wave breaks if the alarm in that location, will stop beeping. I'm telling ya, hot as hell here.

Ahh, I did a quick search and found this. On this, #10 could very well apply since, it has been very hot and very humid, and the location of this smoke alarm is between 3 rooms, one is the bath. Humidity might be the problem right now.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5568401_troubleshoot-smoke-detector-problems.html

I cannot be the only person whom this is happening to right now with this weather.

You are not the only one. I have played musical chairs also.

Many Detectors Detect the Absence of Oxygen, so CO2 or anything including Humidity can screw them up.

Even a Fart can false a good one if the wind is not blowing. It speaks the truth.

Buy good Batteries tho. Anything 3 for $5 or less are cheap ones.

 

[Cookie]

Well, mine are pretty sensitive. They are the top of the line, and when the battery gets low it talks, and I am not so sure I like that in the middle of the night lol. Kind of spooky. And, being I have to climb waaay up there, and hang above a a stairwell, I make... sure... I buy the top of the line batteries so, it doesn't have to be done too frequently. Even, when I had a plumber in here, and he was using a torch on the flange setting off the alarm, he wouldn't climb up there, he was very kind, he told me to "take care of that alarm!" LOL. Good thing I am not afraid of height. The good news is, it is much cooler today, in the low 70's and it stopped beeping. Much more comfortable a day.

 

[Cookie]

A couple of days ago on CBS and ABC news they had a segment or a spot about the high humidity and smoke alarms. I don't know if anyone else caught it, but, it just basically said, about the high humidity some of the country has been experiencing has caused a flood of calls to places like Honeywell, etc, about smoke alarms going off and troubleshooting. So, there ya go.

 

[DIYwaterguy]

We have a smoke alarm in an area where three bedroom and one bath all join up, so it's the end of a hall with 4 doors. Every time one of the kids showers the steam from the open bathroom door will set off the smoke alarm...go figure.

 

[RoxanWright]

Do smoke detectors respond in heat? I'm not sure about that, haven't heard of any yet. That must be a very sensitive smoke detector then if it can also detect heat.

 

[hj]

quote; They all recommend to NOT install near an HVAC supply or return.

I will have to read the directions, because that is where they WERE typically installed, because that is where the smoke would be detected first when the unit was operating and pulling the smoke to the unit.

 

[Jadnashua]

There are generally two types of smoke detectors available: ion detectors and optically based. A fire creates ions which change the conductivity of the air, and that triggers it; the optical ones bounce the light beam around and look for a variation in the light output - smoke particles (or dust, or condensation) can trigger them because it can disrupt the light transmission. So, putting one near a heat duct, where there may be some dust blowing around, it probably not a great idea unless it is an ionic one (these often have a radioactive component in them). Some are available with both types, since a hot fire tends to create ions more than smoke, while a smoldering fire will create more smoke particles and a dual-mode one can catch a fire early (smoke) and hotter fires (maybe from cooking).

 

[mrt_05]

will a smoke alarms can go off with heat. According to my view a smoke alarms just go off with smoke. so please share with me if you have any experienced about it? But I must suggest to all of you that we all should maintain the smoke alarms and must change the battery after a short time.

A smoke detector will only detect heat if that is an included function of the device. There is no rule that a smoke detector must also detect high temperatures. That said, many smoke detectors do include a heat sensing function.