The Medway Handyman wrote:
ronald wrote:
Do smoke alarms get more sensitive as they get older? Mine is about
18 years old. It still works in fact I just put a new battery in it a
month ago.
My wife has a steam generator iron and if she does not open all the
windows in the room she is using it the alarm will go off, most
annoying as she has stopped ironing now. At least I'll get a cup of
coffee.The alarm is in the hall, not where she is ironing, but we
have a vent above the door which does not help.

It is pouring with rain just now and the humidity is quite high so I
think because of that and also the high temperature that is what is
making it go off.

When I think about it the alarm seems to go off more now than it did
before.
Anyway I would buy a new alarm but if the new one is going to go off
when there is steam instead of smoke there is no point. So is there a
specific type of smoke alarm that is less sensitive to steam or all
they all basically the same?

Don't know where you are, but Kent Fire Brigade will install smake alarms
for nothing.
http://www.kent.fire-uk.org/Your_Saf...etyvisits.html

Might be worth check your local brigade.

Lancashire fire brigade are the same.

Next door had a kitchen fire that did a fair bit of damage to the
fittings in the kitchen and blackened the rest of the house.

When the fire service were satisfied about the safety of the house they
fitted smoke alarms to it and came round to our house to do the same.

Once they have done this, you go on a register they keep and they will
come back and change them at the recommended period.

Makes sense, as it takes a lot more money putting fires out than fitting
smoke alarms.

Dave