Tech: Finding my smoke alarm

Subject: Tech: Finding my smoke alarm
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 09 Jun 13 - 07:40 PM

I've got an old smoke alarm somewhere, and it's battery is running out, so it gives out a beep every now and then. And I can't find it and it's driving us crazy...

Any suggestions? For example is there an ipad app somewhere which can locate sounds like that? If there isn't maybe someone should come up with one, because I'm sure I'm not alone.

When my brother died and I had to sort out his place I had the same problem multiplied several times, because he had quite a number of alarms stuck away in various places, and they all kept beeping and sounding exactly the same.

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding my smoke alarm
From: Noreen
Date: 09 Jun 13 - 08:34 PM

Borrow a young person with good hearing- they'll be able to track it down.

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding my smoke alarm
From: gnu
Date: 09 Jun 13 - 09:21 PM

Shhhh... listen... wait for it... follow your ears.

That's the best methodology I can offer to aid in your investigation.

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding my smoke alarm
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 09 Jun 13 - 09:59 PM

Follow my ears doesnt work, on a single bleep coming every couple of minutes. And that seems to apply no matter how keen the person trying to do it may be.

An owl might be able to do it, but I never went to Hogwarts, so I've having to find a substitute.

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding my smoke alarm
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 09 Jun 13 - 10:05 PM

A smoke alarm has to be placed where air from the room can circulate throught it, so they're nearly always on the ceiling or near the top of a wall. There is the possibility you might have a CO₂ detector that would be located low, but those aren't too common.

Looking for "lumps up high" will usually give you a clue about where your alarms are. About the only thing likely to look similar might be a doorbell "chime" box, some of which are about the same shape and similarly located.

If you can manage to be close to one of the lumps when it chirps, you probably will be able to tell when it's the right one.

If you don't find it, it should stop beeping at you in about a month, although the time is quite variable.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding my smoke alarm
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 09 Jun 13 - 10:10 PM

The thing to remember I suppose is to be sure to remove the battery next tume I retire a smoke alarm and stick it in a drawer.

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding my smoke alarm
From: GUEST,VaTam on her Tab
Date: 09 Jun 13 - 11:42 PM

A couple in Southend demolished a wall at the end of the hall in their house to find annoying beep. Turned out it was the old smoke alarm they had put in chest of drawers in front of the wall. They caused thousands in damage to their home.

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding my smoke alarm
From: GUEST,VaTam on her Tab
Date: 09 Jun 13 - 11:45 PM

Sorry. It was Frinton.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-19921055

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding my smoke alarm
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 10 Jun 13 - 03:49 AM

Burn your toast, then you'll find it.

This is the true purpose of smoke alarms, to tell you when your toast is burning.

Dave H

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding my smoke alarm
From: gnomad
Date: 10 Jun 13 - 03:53 AM

I had a similar problem at my Mum's house, except that it wasn't.

She asked me to replace the alarm batteries in all her smoke alarms as she didn't want to climb to them. I did so despite being pretty sure there was life in some of them, but the beeps continued. Eventually by listening for the tiny beep that had faded to about once per five minutes I traced it to her (new to her) mobile. It was on PAYG, but when it beeped she had thought it needed more money, rather than recharging, it took her quite a while to use up the credit she had built up.

So...have you put away some other rechargeable device that might be signalling its distress?

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding my smoke alarm
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 10 Jun 13 - 05:18 AM

If, as suggested, the smoke alarm might have been stored in a drawer somewhere, the beeps will eventually cease when the batteries discharge a little more.

Unfortunately, thoroughly discharged batteries do have a tendency to leak, and the ultimate result will be destruction of the alarm - and some very irritating holes in your shorts (or whatever else was in the vicinity) when you do finally find the thing.

If clothing is affected, it might be hoped that the holes will be prominent enough to prompt thorough washing before wearing, as even a little bit of battery juice can be quite unkind to tender body parts.

(BTDT)

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding my smoke alarm
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 10 Jun 13 - 09:03 AM

It's under the kitchen or bathroom sink. That's the place to which all useless things eventually migrate. It doesn't matter where they start out, Under-the-Sink is their final destination.

You replaced the alarm with a newer model about six months ago and, being aware that smoke alarms contain hazardous materials and should not be simply tossed into the kitchen trash can, you sat it aside with the intention of taking it to a proper hazardous materials disposal site when you got around to it. But it felt the pull of Under-the-Sink before you could find where such a disposal site is located.

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding my smoke alarm
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 10 Jun 13 - 12:36 PM

Can't eve wrk out whether it's upstairs or downstairs. I think it might be Borrowers moving it around.

I thought of trying the toast technique. But then we've got the lingering odour of burnt toast.

Yes, it does sound more like Frinton than Southend. Southend they'd just turn up the telly to drown the sound.

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding my smoke alarm
From: Pete Jennings
Date: 10 Jun 13 - 12:51 PM

How about sitting in each room in turn with the door(s) closed and all drawers and cupboards open? Where it sounds loudest, it's in there somewhere.

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding my smoke alarm
From: Jeri
Date: 10 Jun 13 - 02:07 PM

If you had a friend with a nosy dog, I bet the dog could find it.

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding my smoke alarm
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 10 Jun 13 - 04:37 PM

A dog might spot it, I suppose. Our cars might spot it for all I now, but they couldn't care less.

However we've just found it, more by luck than listening.

I still think some kind of app for locating things that make a sound would be possible and useful.

Of course what would really help would be if you could attach a sort of mini-phone to the things that get lost, such as keys, so you could ring them up and hear the bell, the way you can with a mobile phone you've mislaid.

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding my smoke alarm
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 10 Jun 13 - 08:10 PM

That should have been cats, not cars...

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding my smoke alarm
From: Jeri
Date: 10 Jun 13 - 08:47 PM

So where was it? I figured it was in a box under some piece of furniture. Am I close?

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding my smoke alarm
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 10 Jun 13 - 11:50 PM

A common problem for auto mechanics is finding where a noise is coming from, and a number of devices are available to assist in sound isolations, from stethescopes to the technically advanced "big screwdriver in your ear."

The cardboard tube from a roll of paper towels, held up to your ear and "pointed" around the room when you hear the beeps might give sufficient directional discrimination to help you find where the sound comes from. This should be a sufficient aid to find the beeper if its in the same room.

If the sound is coming from another room, finding which doorway to go to may get you started, but if it's "at a distance" you may have to do some detective deduction to eliminate reflected pseudo sources.

Since the beep is intermittent, and fairly infrequent, it shouldn't take more than a month or two to track it back to the source - although the battery will probably only last a week or two before it's completely dead and the beeps stop.

A young friend with good (stereo) hearing could probably solve your problem quite quickly, but I have no suggestions for how to find anyone old enough to communicate what you want done who would not already be deaf as an old board from concerts and "portable music devices."

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding my smoke alarm
From: Ebbie
Date: 10 Jun 13 - 11:58 PM

Glad you found it, Kevin. Have you now removed the batteries from all the alarms? :)

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding my smoke alarm
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 11 Jun 13 - 03:02 AM

Ebbie:
Glad you found it, Kevin. Have you now removed the batteries from all the alarms? :)

Not a good move, he may have a fire :)

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding my smoke alarm
From: Pete Jennings
Date: 11 Jun 13 - 07:09 AM

How about these?

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding my smoke alarm
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 11 Jun 13 - 07:23 AM

The cardboard tube method sounds about my technical level - thanks, John.

But the device Pete suggested for keys etc sounds handy as well. I'm not too technophobic really. I just prefer low tech when it works.

Where was it? I think it had fallen down behind some books. I've got it fitted with a nice new battery and it,s where I can see it.

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding my smoke alarm
From: Mo the caller
Date: 11 Jun 13 - 07:46 AM

Now can anyone help Les B find his camoflauge net?

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding my smoke alarm
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Jun 13 - 08:29 AM

'Now can anyone help Les B find his camoflauge net?'

Les might be in luck if he wrapped it around an older smoke detector . . .

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding my smoke alarm
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 11 Jun 13 - 09:31 AM

Some smoke alarms both need a battery AND have a mains feed, so if the battery fails the beeping at several minute intervals never stops. My girlfriend had two like that (but they were obviously - er - on the ceiling where they should be). They had been beeping I am told for 15 years and the council workmen had never managed to stop them. I put batteries in and they stopped. Now I need to re-attach one to the ceiling. A wonderful thing the council workman, at times. On the other hand the one who has just fixed her windows and locks was jolly good.

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding my smoke alarm
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 11 Jun 13 - 09:41 AM

After the battery has run down you then need to wait for the Americium isotope to run down before you can throw it away.

The half life is about 432 years and you should wait until about seven have elapsed to be sure it is safe.

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding my smoke alarm
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 11 Jun 13 - 10:17 AM

So it'll be safe to toss it out somewhere around the year 14,100? I'll leave a note for the grandkids and hope they can remember to pass it on for about 120 generations.

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding my smoke alarm
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Jun 13 - 10:49 AM

Borrow a Geiger counter. Stop 'looking' for the sound. Look for the radiation.

Subject: RE: Tech: Finding my smoke alarm
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 11 Jun 13 - 11:48 AM

No good.
Alpha emitter.
Couple of inches range, but the case will stop them anyway.