Jump to content

Fire Brigade Fitted Smoke Alarms


Coffee

Recommended Posts

As it is so quiet.

 

A couple years ago a couple of fireman called at my door and after dragging them in they explained they were fitting free smoke alarms. So they took down my old alarm and fitted new ones.

 

A few days ago I came home at 2 am and kept hearing a strange noise, like something shortening out. Now I had not been drinking so started a search and soon found the smoke alarm was the culprit.

 

Took it off and after a few minutes of trying to open it to get at the battery read the label on the alarm, battery not replaceable.

 

Now what is the point in that, firstly it is not very environmentally friendly and secondly I was without a smoke alarm until I bought a replacement yesterday.

 

This may be of interest to some of you, you can register via the Cheshire firebrigade web site for alaerts if there are any major incidents in the area!

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The reason they have non-replaceable batteries in some smoke alarms is to prevent people nicking the batteries out of them when the ones in their TV remote go flat.

 

Get interlinked mains powered ones both downstairs and upstairs. Not expensive, can be powered from the existing lighting circuit, and linked via either a cable or wirelessly so that if one detects smoke then they all sound.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I always wondered why some have non-replaceable batteries too Coffee.  Our carbon monoxide one was the same and it annoyed me when the battery went that I had to buy another full unit and they are not cheap.

 

Makes perfect sense now you have said that Inky. 

 

I've never fancied having the mains powered ones though just in case a fire started with some wiring or something and the mains fuse box tripped straight away resulting in no power to the alarms either.  Do they have a battery backup in them in case that happens  ?

 

Coffee... you comment about you dragging the firemen into your house really made me giggle.  Were they good looking or was it just the uniform you liked ?  :wink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They do have a battery backup and they can also be wirelessly linked to other detectors around the house. I have those type at home and so if a fire were to start in the kitchen and the doors were shut, the heat detector in there (don't put smoke alarms in your kitchen folks!!) if triggered would immediately send a wireless signal to the other alarms around the house; setting those off too.

 

It basically means that if the kitchen were below a bedroom and the smoke detector was on the landing, the person in the bedroom above could be cooked before the smoke reached the alarm upstairs... Modern technology!!

 

You can also install wireless CO detectors on the same system so that all detectors are alerted if there are any problems

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just an idea but why do you have Firemen looking around your house at the fire detectors ,Dizzy? Did they do that for free? Most of us have to pay for a Fire Brigade call out. Also most of us are aware of the fact that if the electrical wiring in our houses is sub-standard then we need to pay for it to be re-newed. It doesn't cost a lot of money but it could save a lot of lives. Dizzy could you, please confirm that your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are hard wired into your electricity circuit board and that your house electricity has been independentaly cheched and certified as safe recently?

Lives can (and have) been lost in fires just because the house holder couldn't be bothered to do these very simple things.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

when my mum was housebound, a very nice fireman called Barrie (The chap who also looks after the old Crosfields Fire Engine for Cheshire Fire Service) called and connected a smoke alarm which also activated her carecall system in the event of a fire....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The reason they have non-replaceable batteries in some smoke alarms is to prevent people nicking the batteries out of them when the ones in their TV remote go flat.

 

Now that make sense.

 

 

Coffee... you comment about you dragging the firemen into your house really made me giggle.  Were they good looking or was it just the uniform you liked ?   :wink:

 

They were MEN Dizy, the older one was far better looking then the younger one or maybe it was that it was his boss. THey had uniforms????

 

When they first come they looked around, said they would be back in a minute and then I watched them get to the gate and run off really quickly, by the time I ran out after them they were gone. they came back 40 minutes later explaining they were called to an emergency.

 

Just an idea but why do you have Firemen looking around your house at the fire detectors ,Dizzy? Did they do that for free?

 

If you go to the Cheshire fire brigade web site you can arrange a visit, I keep doing that but they won't come back.

 

If you go to the Fire station they will give you new ones, 

 

Really!!! Going tomorrow, should be in Leeds tomorrow but will call in sick.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We must have been posting at the same time RC as yours wasn't there when I started typing before.

 

So I'll quote what you said..... 

 

Just an idea but why do you have Firemen looking around your house at the fire detectors ,Dizzy? Did they do that for free? Most of us have to pay for a Fire Brigade call out. Also most of us are aware of the fact that if the electrical wiring in our houses is sub-standard then we need to pay for it to be re-newed. It doesn't cost a lot of money but it could save a lot of lives. Dizzy could you, please confirm that your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are hard wired into your electricity circuit board and that your house electricity has been independentaly cheched and certified as safe recently?

Lives can (and have) been lost in fires just because the house holder couldn't be bothered to do these very simple things.

 

Care to explain why you asked all that though as you seem to be reading something completely different to me.  Beer, wine or 'othe'r ha ha or was it just another one of your "Evil Dizzy is on my mind again " moments. :lol:

 

Anyway as I'm such a nice little bunny I will help you. 

 

Coffee was the person who mentioned having the firemen in the house NOT ME (although I wouldn't have said no  :wink: )

 

Coffee was the person who said the were fitting smoke alarms for free at the time NOT ME (although they have been around here in the past but as we have smoke alarms in every single room, and also fire escape window openings in all the upstairs rooms except the bathroom... heck now there's a thought.... they said we were ok and seemed pretty impressed.   Mmmn never mentioned heat sensors though Baz.)

 

I can confirm that my smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are NOT hard wired into my electricity circuit board... which is why I asked Inky the question and was also grateful of Baz's reply explaining too.

 

As an addition and something that you didn't mention.... everything electrical item in our house (apart from the fridge freezer)  is unplugged from the wall every night and whenever we go out.


I do agree with your very last sentence though as like you say many lives have been lost which could possibly have been prevented  :(  Very sad indeed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

when my mum was housebound, a very nice fireman called Barrie (The chap who also looks after the old Crosfields Fire Engine for Cheshire Fire Service) called and connected a smoke alarm which also activated her carecall system in the event of a fire....

 

That sounds good Baz and any idea if they can be linked into any sort of 'care call' service?  Other half's mum has a telephone line and a fob she can press to alert the provider that she needs assistance or is unwell and I know she worries about fires too so could be good to put her constant worrying mind at rest.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That sounds good Baz and any idea if they can be linked into any sort of 'care call' service?  Other half's mum has a telephone line and a fob she can press to alert the provider that she needs assistance or is unwell and I know she worries about fires too so could be good to put her constant worrying mind at rest.

 

speak to carecall dizzy.... they will sort it for her FOC

Link to comment
Share on other sites

speak to carecall dizzy.... they will sort it for her FOC

 

Thanks Baz I just googled 'care call' and didn't know the council had such a scheme.  I think hers is through Age concern or something so worth comparing the two and the costs :) 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dizzy, I thought that you said

 

"I always wondered why some have non-replaceable batteries too Coffee.  Our carbon monoxide one was the same and it annoyed me when the battery went that I had to buy another full unit and they are not cheap.

 

Makes perfect sense now you have said that Inky. 

 

I've never fancied having the mains powered ones though just in case a fire started with some wiring or something and the mains fuse box tripped straight away resulting in no power to the alarms either.  Do they have a battery backup in them in case that happens  ?"

 

I was only trying to help you with this.

Did I get this wrong?

 

If not I think that an apology from you may be required?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Inky. I don't know much about elec and wiring or mains circuit boards other than whenever one of my downstairs light bulbs blows when I switch them on it trips the board and turns all the power off to that circuit.  I'm getting better at feeling for the trip switch in the dark in the cupboard to turn the circuit back on though :lol:

 

My son did try to explain it all to me but think he was just trying to prove how much he had actually learnt in his 3 years at college and to get one over on me to make me feel dim. :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...