Thursday, May 17, 2012

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?
Posted by Alexandra Grabbe at 6:00 AM

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Living Large's avatar

Living Large · 670 weeks ago

I hate to admit this, but I bought both smoke and carbon monoxide detectors when we built Our Little House. My husband hates them too, and never did put them up. We had a security/fire alarm contract in the city and I once set off the smoke detectors cooking. While we were trying to figure out how to turn the darn thing off and answering the phone from the security company, up rolls the fire dept. Embarrassing, especially when it's my cooking that set it off! I do think they're important and I guess I should take matters into my own hands and put ours up. Thanks for the reminder.
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sharyn · 670 weeks ago

Without the co detectors in our studio, my inlaws and their cat would be dead. Their furnace malfunctioned sending co into the house last winter. It is odorless.
Four people just died in Maine because of co, they were four wheeling and got stuck in mud. They were gunning the car to try to get out and even though they had the windows open they were overcome. People also die in boats from co, it is deadly stuff.
So I am very happy with these gadgets. We use separate co and smoke detectors.
1 reply · active 670 weeks ago
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chezsven 82p · 670 weeks ago

I agree about the carbon monoxide detectors. Glad to have those back. Now they make them combined in one. Not sure this is a good thing.
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stan · 670 weeks ago

I've never bothered with hard-wired detectors. Batteries only here, and no problems. Location/placement is *very* important to avoid false alarms, esp. around kitchens and baths !! No need for CO detectors down here as not many folks have a furnace of any sort. I dislike how they look, but strike a balance between their function and aesthetics.

With passage of the renatls tax in Wellfleet, this type of bureaucratic micromanagement will be imposed on even more property owners who will have their discretion on such decisions taken away.
1 reply · active 670 weeks ago
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chezsven 82p · 670 weeks ago

You are right, Stan. There's a lot of opposition to the rental tax in town, so the issue will rise again, for sure.
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Connie · 670 weeks ago

I think we have smoke detectors upstairs and downstairs- but I don't think we have the co detectors.
My recent post Wild Wednesday: The Wild Guessing Game
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Dave · 670 weeks ago

I'm glad you asked. I hate them. We did a renovation on our house and we were forced to install them everywhere including every open "rooms" where they openly connect and on high ceilings that we can't reach. I keep them active but they go off in the summer for apparently no reason and they are difficult to shut off. We are forced to use products that clearly don't work properly and I don't see any new ones out there that do.
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