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Posted by Joseph Meehan on August 3, 2007, 7:55 am
SteveB wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> We have a Kiddie KN-COSM-1B smoke detector. Of the past few months
>> since the basement rebuild we have slowly been replacing our old
>> hardwired alarms with the Kiddie models. The Kiddie model has
>> CO/Smoke detector built in. They are apporximately $50 at HD each.
>>
>> Today I went to replace the third smoke alarm near the attic room,
>> when all the alarms went off. I removed the new alarm, but could not
>> get it to stop beeping and saying "Fire, Fire." I can only shut it up
>> by taking the battery up. When I put the battery back in it continues
>> to beep. At this point it is not connected to any AC, just the
>> battery. This happens will all 3 of the Kiddie alarms. The last
>> remaining regular AC alarm is not beeping or making any noise.
>>
>> Would could be wrong, how can I shut the alarms up and put them back?
>> The batteries are new, as are the detectors.
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>
> AS STATED IN THE DIRECTIONS SHEET, smoke and CO alarms are NOT sold as
> lifesaving devices. Read the small print. The companies (Kidde in
> particular) states that 35% of the units will fail to detect smoke. Per
> National Fire statistics, it is more like 55%.
>
> They are not subject to some rules, as they are all made outside of
> the US because they contain a very small amount of radioactive
> materials. This gives them huge loopholes to drive their Corporate
> Cadillacs through. If you notice, you will see MANY stories of smoke
> alarms that failed to go off, or see film of melted detectors. It's
> a travesty. And it costs human lives. And generally, they will
> blame the family with two toasted tots for not changing the
> batteries. It happens every day somewhere in the US.
> Toss those Kidde alarms and get some real alarms. I just did four
> houses of mine for just under $7,000 with MasterGuard smoke, heat,
> and CO detectors. The company makes the units in Texas, and are based
> on a different principle than the radioactive ones. They use
> photoelectric principles. They also have fusible links to sense
> heat. They are guaranteed for life, and can be washed by dipping
> into soapy water whenever the clean beep pattern is heard.
> Their claim to fame is that they detect a slow smoldering fire very
> easily, whereas the Kidde and others will only detect a heavy smoke
> fire. On a slow smoldering fire, you just die from lack of oxygen,
> or pass out, and that's it.
>
> Kidde alarms and every other one you can buy at the Borg stores are
> pieces of shit, and they say so in their own brochures. If the
> failure rate is only 35% as they say, you might get two out of three
> good ones. OR, you might get three out of three bad ones out of the
> fifty in the box. But who reads the fine print?
>
> How much is your life worth? Or your children's?
>
> Steve
Just as a note, in real life many lives have been saved by smoke
detectors. I would agree that many should be better, then the price would
go up and fewer would be sold. Life has tradeoffs.
As for the two basic types of sensors, they both have advantages. The
best advice is to understand both and use the one or both where they will
provide the best warnings.
--
Joseph Meehan
Dia 's Muire duit
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