YSK Your smoke detectors should be replaced every 7-10 years

Comments

• Gork@sopuli.xyz ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  This is only true for the Americium based smoke detectors. The newer photoelectric cell fire detectors don’t decay like Americium detectors, and as long as you replace the battery it’ll be good for however long it’s internal components (capacitors and whatnot) will last.

  Technology Connections has a good video about this subject:

  https://youtu.be/DuAeaIcAXtg

  source

  • ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    The half life for americium 241 is like 450 years. The 10 year replacement has nothing to do with decay. It’s just a non specific safety in case any of the electronics or board etc start to fail. Photoelectric detectors have the same 10 year recommendation as a max.

    It’s actually recommend by many organizations (like the NFPA) to replace photoelectric detectors more often than ionization detectors, if anything.

    source

    • JcbAzPx@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      It’s tuned to a specific output and isn’t exactly field adjustable. Certainly it will continue to be radioactive long after you’re dead, but that doesn’t mean it will still be working properly.

      source

      • -> View More Comments
  • philpo@feddit.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    This is plain WRONG and DANGEROUS.

    The issue is NOT the Americum but the natural degration of the photoelectric cells and the accumulation of dirt within the test chamber.

    Even before that time the risk for false alarms is increased substantially by degration before the chances for sucessful alarming decrease rapidly. Due to that they actually withstand aging actually worse than ionisation based devices.

    Sientific sources?

    Here

    here.

    Here

    Here

    (Besides: Americum has a decay time of over 400 years,btw)

    source

    • grue@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Your third source is about the 2020 follow-up study of the 2017 study in your first source. You’ve “only” (in scare quotes because that’s still plenty) got three independent sources even though it looks like four.

      source

      • -> View More Comments
  • bamboo@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    This is anecdotical but I moved into an apartment with a 30 year old ionizing smoke detector, and the failure was it was too sensitive, I assume because there were less electrons being emitted from the radioactive element, any faint smoke caused it to go off. Eventually it got into a state where it would always be in an alert state, and was beeping 100% of the time, which was when the landlord finally replaced it.

    My assumption with the 10 year replacement recommendation for Americium based smoke detectors is to replace it before it becomes too sensitive and annoying, because they were worried some people would remove the battery and just live without an active smoke detector.

    source

    • ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      There’s no radiation drop after just 30 years from americium 241. It has a 450 year half life. After decades electric components start to fail and\or things get dirty. After 30 years of getting smoke in it, there was probably a layer of dust\smoke over where the radiation is at that were blocking some of the radiation all the time, that made it more sensitive.

      Same issues will happen with photoelectric detectors. It’s recommended to replace both types after no longer than 10 years. I have no idea where the person you responded to got the information about them not needing replaced as often as ionization detectors. If anything, it’s actually the opposite.

      source
  • netweirdo@lemmy.zip ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Alec in his own video mentions that the issue isn’t that the Americium decays, but that the electronics themselves age and fail, which applies to both the ionization detectors and photoelectric detectors.

    This is one of the things you just don’t wanna mess with, and from what I know some manufacturers are even beginning to make detector units with non-replaceable batteries, intended to be replaced whole when the battery dies after years of runtime, to make it impossible to keep using a detector after its rated lifetime.

    source

    • BradleyUffner@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      I know some manufacturers are even beginning to make detector units with non-replaceable batteries, intended to be replaced whole when the battery dies after years of runtime, to make it impossible to keep using a detector after its rated lifetime.

      I’m sure that’s the reason say they do it, but that smells like standard corporate planned obsolescence and profit seeking with a great PR excuse.

      source

      • -> View More Comments
  • wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    A motion to rename every element that’s named after a place. All in favor updoot, all opposed downdoot

    source

    • Bronzebeard@lemmy.zip ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Okay, let’s start with Helium (named after the sun)

      source

      • -> View More Comments
  • takeda@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    I was about to link to the same video. From what I remember though both types have strength and weaknesses in regards to the type of fire.

    source
  • evasive_chimpanzee@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    According to the one i just had to replace, combo carbon monoxide detectors need to be replaced. I don’t know how the carbon monoxide part works, but i wonder if it’s a reagent or something.

    source
  • IWW4@lemmy.zip ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Hehe.

    You want to bet your life on that? You want to bet the life of your kids on that?

    source
  • Carighan@piefed.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    And if you live for rent, at least over here in Germany your landlords are obliged to replace them regularly, but like you say that just means they’ll replace them with previous ones that have been checked and had batteries replaced.

    source
• kinkles@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  They make ones now with an internal battery that lasts 10 years. No more chirping and swapping 9V batteries.

  source

  • Raiderkev@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    It sucks ass. I’ve gone through about 5 of them well short of 10 years. I do see that this brand released a new version, but this is the one I had. Absolute garbage. They kept giving false positives, and they have no replaceable batteries so they just become E-waste after you disable them. This is the one I had.

    www.homedepot.com/pep/…/203534175?

    source

    • halcyoncmdr@piefed.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      You know those have a 10 year warranty right? Including the specific model you linked.

      https://www.kidde.com/warranty-information

      source

      • -> View More Comments
    • BigDiction@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      That’s all they sell at Costco now and I’m worried they won’t last 10 years. They’re kinda pricey too $70 for two.

      source

      • -> View More Comments
    • CentipedeFarrier@piefed.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      I’ve had the same problem with them. I don’t recommend them either.

      Even if they do have a warranty, they aren’t reliable enough to be worth doing the warranty claim on, imho.

      I’ve gone back to the old battery style and gotten some rechargeable 9 volt.

      source
  • MurrayL@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    I’m fact, smoke alarms with user-replaceable batteries became illegal in Scotland a couple of years ago.

    Still waiting to see if the same regulation gets applied across the entire UK, but anecdotally I’ve noticed it’s already much harder to find anything other than 10-year battery or hardwired models in my part of England.

    source

    • uninvitedguest@piefed.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      What’s the reason behind that legislation?

      source

      • -> View More Comments
  • nocturne@slrpnk.net ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    I was looking at one of those when I was buying new detectors.

    source
  • roofuskit@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Those are the only battery ones legal to sell where I live.

    source
• blimthepixie@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  Reminds me of this, couldn’t find the OG image unfortunately.

  Hate it when people overlay unnecessary text, I guess it’s for the simpletons

  Image

  source

  • macaw_dean_settle@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    There are no gangsters here. You do not know what that word means.

    source
• MantisToboggon@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  You should know I passive aggressively want to die.

  source

  • Mac@mander.xyz ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    That’s a reasonable reaction to the current state of things.

    source
  • Thrydwulf@lemmy.today ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Better by fire than by ICE.

    source
  • theunknownmuncher@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    But are you fine with dying from burning or smoking inhalation?

    source

    • RisingSwell@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Smoke inhalation yes burning no

      source
• carrylex@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  If you’re not living in USA-land you’re probably fine to simply change the battery every few years because you’ve got a photoelectric smoke detector.

  Ionization based smoke detectors (that require changing because radioactive…) are more unsafe and usually only allowed in special cases in non third world countries like the EU.

  Oh and you also can’t just throw them into the trash because you know radioactivity… except in USA-land…

  source

  • Soggy@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Photoelectric smoke detectors also need to be replaced every ten years or so, and the radioactivity of ionization alarms is well within safe levels as long as you aren’t taking them apart to eat the ^241^Am. They’re sensitive to different things but the photoelectric ones are probably better suited to modern home fires (but they’re more prone to false-positives from kitchen smoke).

    Pointless America Bad and radiation fear-mongering.

    source
  • HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    idk my locale in statesia you gotta take them to the special dump

    source
• sunbytes@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  You’re supposed to test them fairly regularly.

  I get that monthly might be a pain, but once or twice a year is probably smart, for safety equipment.

  source
• Blackmist@feddit.uk ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  Mine expired and decided to sing me the song of their people at 4am.

  That was an exciting night, I’ll tell you that…

  source

  • anon_8675309@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    They always wait until night.

    source
  • IndustryStandard@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    They always wait until nighttime.

    source
• AA5B@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  Don’t they all do that now? Tell you when they’ve expired?

  source

  • nocturne@slrpnk.net ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Maybe, if it is made past a certain date. Mine in the image, from 2005, did not.

    source

    • AA5B@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Admittedly I did similar. At one point I had a non-working detector and noticed it was long expired when I tried to replace the battery. I realized I had been in my house more than ten years and the detectors had been installed by a previous owner, probably in the early 2000’s. Those did NOT beep when they expired

      When I replaced those, the new ones were all configured to beep when expired and they were starting to push the sealed detectors with ten year non-replaceable battery. Sure enough, ten years later they all started beeping that they were expired.

      I guess I assumed that it’s been 20 years and most people will have replaced detectors at least once. In my state, there’s a required inspection that all detectors are up to date before a house can be sold

      (Which is really annoying because mine are all battery but the current standard is they must interconnect so I’ll need some electrical work if I want to sell my house)

      source
  • Otherbarry@lemmy.frozeninferno.xyz ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Yes.

    Not only that, the current generation of smoke detectors have sealed batteries so you can’t even open them up to change batteries or anything. So once they expire in 10 years they start their incessant “I’m dying” non-stop beeping - that’s when you dispose of the entire smoke detector and buy a new one.

    I’ve read that they don’t detect smoke as well after 10 years anyway (e.g. even more false alarms) so it’s probably for the best to get rid of old ones.

    source
• doug@lemmy.today ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  that’s my landlord’s problem 😎

  source

  • ammonium@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Your landlord’s responsibility, your problem

    source

    • doug@lemmy.today ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      …I’m not taking off these sunglasses. 😎

      source
  • Blackmist@feddit.uk ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    It’s ok, they can paint over the smoke damage and get a new tenant.

    source
• AbsolutelyNotAVelociraptor@piefed.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  I’m genuinely curious: why do you need smoke detectors? I’m asking as an european that has lived without them all their life in more than one country. They are not mandatory here and not even common. What’s the reason to install ther? (I know the reason is to detect smoke, I’m asking the underlying reason behind the need to detect smoke)

  source

  • lonefighter@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    I work in EMS. When we respond to house fires in the middle of the night there’s kind of two different ways they go. When people have smoke detectors and their house catches on fire in the middle of the night they’re the ones who call us and we get on scene to find them outside their home in their pajamas, watching their house burn, very shaken up but ok. They never need anything from us ambulance-wise except maybe some blankets. When people don’t have smoke detectors in their homes and they catch on fire in the middle of the night a neighbor or passer-by calls the fire in and we get on scene and the firefighters are dragging bodies out to us.

    source

    • nocturne@slrpnk.net ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      As I mentioned in another comment, I almost died in a house fire. I had an aerosol can in a pile of clothes that caught fire from a heater, that can exploded and woke me. Otherwise I would have slept through the fire.

      Your comment hits me really hard (I am sure not as hard as being on scene where they did not have detectors). But reading some of the dismissive comments I was starting to think I was over reacting, you assured me I was not.

      source
  • RightHandOfIkaros@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    If you are asleep and your house catches fire, the idea is that the smoke detector will wake you up with enough time hopefully to escape the fire. That is really their primary purpose.

    Some European countries do require them. Germany and Britain require smoke detectors in all residential buildings, for example.

    source
  • TheOctonaut@mander.xyz ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    They are mandatory in Ireland, so please stop the “Europe” stuff.

    House fires were a huge cause of death and in apartment blocks they also can let one person’s mistake kill hundreds of others.

    source

    • AbsolutelyNotAVelociraptor@piefed.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      They are mandatory in Ireland, so please stop the “Europe” stuff.

      I haven’t said they are not mandatory in Europe. I have said that I am European and haven’t seen them in the countries I lived in.

      Tell me, are Spain and Italy countries that for some reason disqualify you from being European or did you just have a rough morning?

      source

      • -> View More Comments
  • The_Hideous_Orgalorg@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Possibly a difference in construction materials. Most stuff in the US is made of wood and other flammable materials. From what I understand, brick/stone based materials are the most common in European buildings.

    source

    • philpo@feddit.org ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Nah, OP is just a troll. Most European countries by now have legislation to mandate them or are currently introducing these. All of them heavily advise them.

      source
    • ammonium@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Wood as a construction material is not really the problem, it burn fairly slow. The problem is our furniture and other stuff changed from wood to MDF and petroleum based based products, reducing the time you have to react from 15 minutes to 3 minutes.

      If you look at a map of where smoke detectors are mandatory and where not in the EU, it’s more about rich vs poor: q-certified.eu/…/smoke-detector-legislation-in-th…

      source
  • ViatorOmnium@piefed.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    In Germany they are mandatory for new buildings for a while now. And at least my landlord sends a company to check if they still work every year, so I assume that’s mandatory too.

    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/347808687_Analysis_of_the_effectiveness_of_the_smoke_alarm_obligation_-_Experiences_from_practice has an overview of the regulations and an analysis of the impact in Germany.

    source

    • kungen@feddit.nu ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      sends a company to check if they still work every year

      Wtf, isn’t it just pressing a button…? Though I guess you avoid the risk of people forgetting.

      It’s also required in Sweden, but the building owner is responsible for installation, whereas the people living there are responsible for testing that it still works.

      source

      • -> View More Comments
  • deranger@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Detect fires, save lives.

    source
• merc@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  Aaaaaaaand let me tell you, I had a sleepless night last night knowing there were no detectors installed.

  This seems really weird. Smoke detectors are important, but the odds of a fire any given night are incredibly low. To me, replacing a detector would be a chore I’d get to within a week, and I definitely wouldn’t lose sleep over it.

  source
• DarkFuture@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  You mean those things that make noise when I don’t want them to?

  Yeah, I removed the batteries.

  Dying from smoke inhalation in my sleep sounds like one of the easier ways to go.

  source
• lohky@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  Ours were just replaced in our rental house. They were last replaced in 2004 and our corpo landlord just doesn’t give a fuck.

  I don’t think our dryer vent has been cleaned in a decade. This place is a fire trap.

  source
• MrNobody@quokk.au ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  I’m not betraying a hard worker like that, they’ve shown up for work everyday for 7-10 years and you think I would replace them with some young’n?

  source
• hubobes@piefed.europe.pub ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  Living in a country where smoke detectors basically don’t exist and house fires are extremely rare (rare, not nonexistent, we had a pretty terrible fire in a bar on silvester) I always wonder if we are just stupid for not having them or why there are so many in places like the USA.

  source
• anon_8675309@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  If you live in a state that observes time changes you should get in the habit of checking them on that day. It means you check them twice a year and you’ll be mindful of the expiration date.

  source
• markovs_gun@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  This is why I just go ahead and buy the new ones that come with batteries that last 10 years. You’ll have to replace the whole unit when they die anyway.

  source
• unphazed@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  YSK that those old detectors will most likely not have the same plugs as the old ones, either. Prepare to figure out what circuit they’re all on and a rewire with new dongles (pigtails? Not sure of the right name). Ah, what a fun weekend. 15 min turned into a couple of hours.

  source
• Zachariah@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  nice try, big detector

  source
• RightHandOfIkaros@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  If your smoke detectors go off when you are cooking, then the smoke detectors are too close to the kitchen. At least where I live, building code mandates one smoke detector in each bedroom, one in each hallway leading to a bedroom, and at least one smoke detector on each floor of the home. Generally, avoid placing smoke detectors near kitchens or exterior windows which, when open, are right next to a grill or other cooking appliance. Otherwise you’re going to be getting a lot of false positives.

  source
• electric_nan@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  I replace 'em every other fire.

  source
• silverneedle@lemmy.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  When done replacing your smoke detector, be sure to give me the spent one.

  Mmm, yummy americium.

  source
• Mac@mander.xyz ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  I don’t even have smoke detectors. lol

  source
• SpawnStorm@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  Genuine question, how do you dispose of these properly?

  We have limited electronic recycling options that I’ve found. When I brought my old detectors in, they sent me away. I suppose I could break down the plastic vs the circuit components and recycle the plastic.

  What do you all do?

  source
• IWW4@lemmy.zip ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  And if you live in a place with a lot of industry or traffic it should be replaced sooner than that.

  source
• Sorrow3527@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  Most carbon monoxide detectors do too

  source
• GreenKnight23@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  don’t sweat it. decades ago nobody slept with them and did just fine. you’ll be ok for one night.

  source
• scarabic@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  And please check them to see if they are safe to throw in the trash before you do. Some of them contain small amounts of really nasty stuff. Even the hazardous waste dropoff on my county was reluctant to take a batch from me. They said “you’re really supposed to send those back to the manufacturer.” But they did eventually take them.

  source
• corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  1. Comma splice in OOP’s description

  2. Concrete buildings, my dude.

  I survived a house fire and my family was left with nearly nothing. We no longer live in places made from fire’s favourite food.

  source
• DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  Yeah, that’s when I replaced mine, too. When they became too sensitive. They lasted about 16 years.

  source