Chez Sven Gets New "Smokes"

Last week I received a call from Teresa, at the Wellfleet Fire Department. She reminded me that we had never gotten a permit for our new furnace because 1.) there were no numbers on our old Cape Codder, and 2.) a smoke detector had been disabled. I immediately called Carter Kane, Truro electrician, and he made time in his busy schedule to install brand new smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.

I really dislike these machines, although I know they do save lives. We have had the “smokes” go off in the middle of the night, when a spider crawled across the wiring and somehow activated the warning signal, to the distress of our sleeping guests and myself. We have had them go off while I was frying fish. We have had them chirp when batteries were low. I tried installing new batteries, but the one I was trying to change always ended up setting off all the other machines in the house. What a racket! I hate the sound. It’s right up there with fingernails scratching a blackboard. No, it’s worse, on second thought. I decided our household could do without over the winter. But, a law is a law. Now we have a year on new batteries and new machines, and a fireman is coming to inspect next Monday. Do you hate smoke detectors as much as I do?