My leukemia's back.

[bobbi-j]

Get the 10 year ones and make your life easier Al!


I know which breaker they are on. The same one as the range hood and EVERY FREAKING LIGHT in the kitchen as well as one in the bathroom and the short "hall" in front of the bathroom. Apparently done that way so we know if they aren't "live". Isn't that WHY they have batteries they drain even when they are powered 24x7x365?

Fortunately, ours have their very own breaker.

 

[Alaskan]

Get the 10 year ones and make your life easier Al!

These are wired in ones... in the new house... but they have the battery too... so I think they continue to beep if the battery is low.. even when the power is off

 

[getaclue]

These are wired in ones... in the new house... but they have the battery too... so I think they continue to beep if the battery is low.. even when the power is off

Yup. If the fire is electrical, and the power goes off, the smoke alarms still work because of the battery. That's why everyone says to automatically put in new batteries on the day that daylight savings time begins. That way you do it consistently each year, and the stupid things aren't going off at the most inconvenient times.

 

[bruceha2000]

BUT! Thee batteries in the hardwired units are basically never used, yet they drain anyway. What value is there in having them hardwired if the detector works the same whether there is power or not and you have to replace the batteries just as often as non hardwired ones.

Seems to me the non hardwired ones, ESPECIALLY the 10 year ones, are better all around. No cost to have the electrician put them in (at how much per hour and what cost for the wire???), no need to replace the batteries twice a year and put those 'probably good for another year or two' batteries in the landfill. If there is a REAL need for the alarm to go off, it only needs to do so for a few minutes while everyone evacuates. Doesn't take much battery power for that.

 

[N F C]

Good morning Team Rachel

May your day be pleasant and your smoke alarms silent!

 

[sourland]

Good morning, Team Rachel, and ditto on the silent smoke alarms. Noisy ones freak out our golden retriever, Dani, and she's an old lady.

 

[getaclue]

The reason for the batteries is: you're asleep, and a wire sparks. It continues, and either trips the breaker, or it takes out your power. Hard wired smoke alarms, become useless at that point. That battery function takes over, and the alarm sounds, so everyone can get out safely.

 

[bruceha2000]

Right! So why hardwire them at all? They work on batteries if there is no power so what do you gain by hardwiring them?

 

[Alaskan]

Right! So why hardwire them at all? They work on batteries if there is no power so what do you gain by hardwiring them?

Yeah.... not sure.

 

[getaclue]

Hardwiring them is overall more efficient if it's not an electrical fire.