Smoke Alarm Engineers - why can't they think?
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ednrgc wrote:
Let the customer set the time...
Most folks don't even change the stinking batteries! Why entrust them to set a clock? How many flashing 12:00 VCRs have you seen? Bad, bad idea. Change the battery, or deal with it.
"A good athlete is the result of a good and worthy opponent." - David Crow
"To have a respect for ourselves guides our morals; to have deference for others governs our manners." - Laurence Sterne
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Anyone that has a battery operated smoke alarm knows that "chirping" sound when the battery needs to be replaced. Studies have shown the battery is low, not dead, and the chirping will continue for 4-6 weeks if not changed. Everyone knows that the chirp never happens during the day. It always occurs in the middle of a deep sleep. Mine went off 1:15am last night. It's my backup battery for my C0 detector (which is plugged in). Why not place a simple clock mechanism in these alarms? Let the customer set the time for the warning chirp to start, and when to stop. Make sure the time frame is at least 15 hours long, so the odds of the person not hearing the chirp during work has been taken into account. I know the easy way is to just change them on regular intervals, like the daylight savings time changes, but this is an easy fix that would not drain much battery power, and help to avoid issues like mine in the future.
Aren't you supposed to manually test it every few weeks or so anyway? I think I'd prefer beeing woken up during the night due to a low battery warning than not at all during a real fire. But... Hey! That's just they way I am.
Upcoming events: * Glasgow: SQL Server 2005 - XML and XML Query Plans, Mock Objects, SQL Server Reporting Services... Never write for other people. Write for yourself, because you have a passion for it. -- Marc Clifton My website
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Anyone that has a battery operated smoke alarm knows that "chirping" sound when the battery needs to be replaced. Studies have shown the battery is low, not dead, and the chirping will continue for 4-6 weeks if not changed. Everyone knows that the chirp never happens during the day. It always occurs in the middle of a deep sleep. Mine went off 1:15am last night. It's my backup battery for my C0 detector (which is plugged in). Why not place a simple clock mechanism in these alarms? Let the customer set the time for the warning chirp to start, and when to stop. Make sure the time frame is at least 15 hours long, so the odds of the person not hearing the chirp during work has been taken into account. I know the easy way is to just change them on regular intervals, like the daylight savings time changes, but this is an easy fix that would not drain much battery power, and help to avoid issues like mine in the future.
My favorite is when I yank the damn thing off the wall and remove the battery SO I CAN SLEEP because I'm going to get batteries the next day, and the blasted thing still goes off because there's a built-in backup battery. That's how the detectors were at my old apartment and it was infuriating. Seriously designed to not let you sleep. Gahh.
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Anyone that has a battery operated smoke alarm knows that "chirping" sound when the battery needs to be replaced. Studies have shown the battery is low, not dead, and the chirping will continue for 4-6 weeks if not changed. Everyone knows that the chirp never happens during the day. It always occurs in the middle of a deep sleep. Mine went off 1:15am last night. It's my backup battery for my C0 detector (which is plugged in). Why not place a simple clock mechanism in these alarms? Let the customer set the time for the warning chirp to start, and when to stop. Make sure the time frame is at least 15 hours long, so the odds of the person not hearing the chirp during work has been taken into account. I know the easy way is to just change them on regular intervals, like the daylight savings time changes, but this is an easy fix that would not drain much battery power, and help to avoid issues like mine in the future.
Gee, why not just make them all wireless devices that send you an EMail telling you that you should consider changing the battery, give you an operational status, maybe a time of how long it's been in operation and tell you when you need to replace the alarm altogether; and why we're at it, make it so that multiple alarms all talk to each other, and each goes off during a fire; OH ... and an admin web page like a router, where you can simply go click a "Test All Now" button and test all the alarms in your house at the same time. and they should also wipe your @$$. :rolleyes: No. Really. I like the entire concept. Investors? Anyone? :-D ok, minus the @$$ wiping part; you're on your own with that.
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Anyone that has a battery operated smoke alarm knows that "chirping" sound when the battery needs to be replaced. Studies have shown the battery is low, not dead, and the chirping will continue for 4-6 weeks if not changed. Everyone knows that the chirp never happens during the day. It always occurs in the middle of a deep sleep. Mine went off 1:15am last night. It's my backup battery for my C0 detector (which is plugged in). Why not place a simple clock mechanism in these alarms? Let the customer set the time for the warning chirp to start, and when to stop. Make sure the time frame is at least 15 hours long, so the odds of the person not hearing the chirp during work has been taken into account. I know the easy way is to just change them on regular intervals, like the daylight savings time changes, but this is an easy fix that would not drain much battery power, and help to avoid issues like mine in the future.
ednrgc wrote:
Anyone that has a battery operated smoke alarm knows that "chirping" sound when the battery needs to be replaced. Studies have shown the battery is low, not dead, and the chirping will continue for 4-6 weeks if not changed.
My are wired directly into the mains, I never have to worry about batteries, are for testing when I grill bacon if the door ajoining the kitchen is left open the smoke alarm usually triggers. Happens once a week so we're safe in our household.
.net is a box of never ending treasures, every day I get find another gem.
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My favorite is when I yank the damn thing off the wall and remove the battery SO I CAN SLEEP because I'm going to get batteries the next day, and the blasted thing still goes off because there's a built-in backup battery. That's how the detectors were at my old apartment and it was infuriating. Seriously designed to not let you sleep. Gahh.
The one in my current appartment is about 10 feet away from my (unhooded) stove. Even with a fan in the window to exhaust if I'm doing anything even minimally steamy (boiling water without a lid on the pot) or smokey (frying pancakes, or carbonizing hotdogs in the oven) it'll go off unless I yank the battery first. In the event of an actual fire there's probably a 1 in 3 chance it won't go off because I forgot to plug the battery back in. The odds of anyone else in the building heading my alarm are probably even lower.
-- You have to explain to them [VB coders] what you mean by "typed". their first response is likely to be something like, "Of course my code is typed. Do you think i magically project it onto the screen with the power of my mind?" --- John Simmons / outlaw programmer
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ednrgc wrote:
Anyone that has a battery operated smoke alarm knows that "chirping" sound when the battery needs to be replaced. Studies have shown the battery is low, not dead, and the chirping will continue for 4-6 weeks if not changed.
My are wired directly into the mains, I never have to worry about batteries, are for testing when I grill bacon if the door ajoining the kitchen is left open the smoke alarm usually triggers. Happens once a week so we're safe in our household.
.net is a box of never ending treasures, every day I get find another gem.
That kind isn't really safe since an electrical fire (or a fire between the breaker box and alarm) could deprive them of power before they go off.
-- You have to explain to them [VB coders] what you mean by "typed". their first response is likely to be something like, "Of course my code is typed. Do you think i magically project it onto the screen with the power of my mind?" --- John Simmons / outlaw programmer
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ednrgc wrote:
Anyone that has a battery operated smoke alarm knows that "chirping" sound when the battery needs to be replaced. Studies have shown the battery is low, not dead, and the chirping will continue for 4-6 weeks if not changed.
My are wired directly into the mains, I never have to worry about batteries, are for testing when I grill bacon if the door ajoining the kitchen is left open the smoke alarm usually triggers. Happens once a week so we're safe in our household.
.net is a box of never ending treasures, every day I get find another gem.
-
Anyone that has a battery operated smoke alarm knows that "chirping" sound when the battery needs to be replaced. Studies have shown the battery is low, not dead, and the chirping will continue for 4-6 weeks if not changed. Everyone knows that the chirp never happens during the day. It always occurs in the middle of a deep sleep. Mine went off 1:15am last night. It's my backup battery for my C0 detector (which is plugged in). Why not place a simple clock mechanism in these alarms? Let the customer set the time for the warning chirp to start, and when to stop. Make sure the time frame is at least 15 hours long, so the odds of the person not hearing the chirp during work has been taken into account. I know the easy way is to just change them on regular intervals, like the daylight savings time changes, but this is an easy fix that would not drain much battery power, and help to avoid issues like mine in the future.
They have considered this problem. The solution is the 10 year lithium battery model.
-- You have to explain to them [VB coders] what you mean by "typed". their first response is likely to be something like, "Of course my code is typed. Do you think i magically project it onto the screen with the power of my mind?" --- John Simmons / outlaw programmer
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ednrgc wrote:
Let the customer set the time...
Most folks don't even change the stinking batteries! Why entrust them to set a clock? How many flashing 12:00 VCRs have you seen? Bad, bad idea. Change the battery, or deal with it.
"A good athlete is the result of a good and worthy opponent." - David Crow
"To have a respect for ourselves guides our morals; to have deference for others governs our manners." - Laurence Sterne
DavidCrow wrote:
How many flashing 12:00 VCRs have you seen?
VCRs? Isnt that what early mammals used to wipe out the dinosaurs? :laugh:
------------------------------ I win because I have the most fun in life...
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That kind isn't really safe since an electrical fire (or a fire between the breaker box and alarm) could deprive them of power before they go off.
-- You have to explain to them [VB coders] what you mean by "typed". their first response is likely to be something like, "Of course my code is typed. Do you think i magically project it onto the screen with the power of my mind?" --- John Simmons / outlaw programmer
-
Anyone that has a battery operated smoke alarm knows that "chirping" sound when the battery needs to be replaced. Studies have shown the battery is low, not dead, and the chirping will continue for 4-6 weeks if not changed. Everyone knows that the chirp never happens during the day. It always occurs in the middle of a deep sleep. Mine went off 1:15am last night. It's my backup battery for my C0 detector (which is plugged in). Why not place a simple clock mechanism in these alarms? Let the customer set the time for the warning chirp to start, and when to stop. Make sure the time frame is at least 15 hours long, so the odds of the person not hearing the chirp during work has been taken into account. I know the easy way is to just change them on regular intervals, like the daylight savings time changes, but this is an easy fix that would not drain much battery power, and help to avoid issues like mine in the future.
The clock would be an additional point of failure and one thing you don't want in a smoke alarm is an additional point of failure. They always go off at 2am because battery power is related to temperature so a dying battery nealy always drops below the trigger point when the battery is at its coldest.
'--8<------------------------ Ex Datis: Duncan Jones Merrion Computing Ltd
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Anyone that has a battery operated smoke alarm knows that "chirping" sound when the battery needs to be replaced. Studies have shown the battery is low, not dead, and the chirping will continue for 4-6 weeks if not changed. Everyone knows that the chirp never happens during the day. It always occurs in the middle of a deep sleep. Mine went off 1:15am last night. It's my backup battery for my C0 detector (which is plugged in). Why not place a simple clock mechanism in these alarms? Let the customer set the time for the warning chirp to start, and when to stop. Make sure the time frame is at least 15 hours long, so the odds of the person not hearing the chirp during work has been taken into account. I know the easy way is to just change them on regular intervals, like the daylight savings time changes, but this is an easy fix that would not drain much battery power, and help to avoid issues like mine in the future.
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Anyone that has a battery operated smoke alarm knows that "chirping" sound when the battery needs to be replaced. Studies have shown the battery is low, not dead, and the chirping will continue for 4-6 weeks if not changed. Everyone knows that the chirp never happens during the day. It always occurs in the middle of a deep sleep. Mine went off 1:15am last night. It's my backup battery for my C0 detector (which is plugged in). Why not place a simple clock mechanism in these alarms? Let the customer set the time for the warning chirp to start, and when to stop. Make sure the time frame is at least 15 hours long, so the odds of the person not hearing the chirp during work has been taken into account. I know the easy way is to just change them on regular intervals, like the daylight savings time changes, but this is an easy fix that would not drain much battery power, and help to avoid issues like mine in the future.
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dan neely wrote:
could deprive them of power before they go off
They all have battery backups. :rolleyes: obviously
As long as the battery is still good ;)
Rocky <>< Latest Code Blog Post: Popfly! Check this out! Latest Tech Blog Post: 15 Free utilites!
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Anyone that has a battery operated smoke alarm knows that "chirping" sound when the battery needs to be replaced. Studies have shown the battery is low, not dead, and the chirping will continue for 4-6 weeks if not changed. Everyone knows that the chirp never happens during the day. It always occurs in the middle of a deep sleep. Mine went off 1:15am last night. It's my backup battery for my C0 detector (which is plugged in). Why not place a simple clock mechanism in these alarms? Let the customer set the time for the warning chirp to start, and when to stop. Make sure the time frame is at least 15 hours long, so the odds of the person not hearing the chirp during work has been taken into account. I know the easy way is to just change them on regular intervals, like the daylight savings time changes, but this is an easy fix that would not drain much battery power, and help to avoid issues like mine in the future.
It is not just when you here the chirp, but also determining "which" one of the detectors is doing it. Also, if it is chripping, does it actually fail a test... Too many rooms with too many detectors can be a pain!
Rocky <>< Latest Code Blog Post: Popfly! Check this out! Latest Tech Blog Post: 15 Free utilites!
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DavidCrow wrote:
How many flashing 12:00 VCRs have you seen?
VCRs? Isnt that what early mammals used to wipe out the dinosaurs? :laugh:
------------------------------ I win because I have the most fun in life...
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Aren't you supposed to manually test it every few weeks or so anyway? I think I'd prefer beeing woken up during the night due to a low battery warning than not at all during a real fire. But... Hey! That's just they way I am.
Upcoming events: * Glasgow: SQL Server 2005 - XML and XML Query Plans, Mock Objects, SQL Server Reporting Services... Never write for other people. Write for yourself, because you have a passion for it. -- Marc Clifton My website
-
It is not just when you here the chirp, but also determining "which" one of the detectors is doing it. Also, if it is chripping, does it actually fail a test... Too many rooms with too many detectors can be a pain!
Rocky <>< Latest Code Blog Post: Popfly! Check this out! Latest Tech Blog Post: 15 Free utilites!