Learning a lot on these boards, txs ?strange Q : Odd things with smoke alarms

Started by Lynn5733, March 01, 2024, 12:37:52 AM

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Lynn5733

In the last six weeks, every time, after I am handling my cheeses, not the making but the brineing, affiange and air drying- my smoke/gas alarm goes off -- usually at o'dark hundred. There is no fire, no smoke so I am thinking, it is detecting the cheese gassing off? Or am I a mad hatter ? )))

Anyway, the first time this happened I am stumbling about looking for fire/smoke and kind neighbours call the police and then come to check on me.  This is great, I  REALLY appreciate it....mind you the police show up 4 hours later at 3 am and warn me about carbon monoxide poisoning. 
I put up a stand-alone, not hard-wired unit, outside my bedroom ( despite the old stories, Carbon monoxide is lighter than air...)and that unit has never gone off but the hard-wired ones do. They are less than ten years old. Opening a window on my bedroom floor shuts it off, gets a bit chilly in  Feb in Canada, but ok.

Anyone else experience this?

Is it cheese gremlins??  ;) :-\

paulabob

I think your HVAC system needs looked at pronto.

Not sure if you are saying it's a carbon monoxide alarm or smoke alarm.  AFAIK those are two separate things.

However, smoke alarms are often wired in but usually have backup batteries.  The backup batteries tend to fail during cold nights, and in the middle of the night.  The batteries should be replaced once a year.  So if you haven't yet, replace those batteries.

Lynn5733

They are hard-wired in ( smoke and gas alarm) and have a ten-year back up battery and they are not ten years old.  I also have a portable stand-alone carbon monoxide monitor and it does not get tripped off. 
My thinking is that a) spider in the hard- wired monitor (s)
                            b) the hard- wired monitors are much more sensitive to smoke and gasses and thus are getting kicked off by the cheeses gassing off
                             c) Gremlins most probably   

Txs for your reply

paulabob

I'd still replace the battery.  You never know how many years the battery was around before it was installed in the device and in your home.

Maybe it will keep out the gremlins!