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what invisible thing could set off my smoke detector? (lemm.ee)

submitted 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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(I have carbon monoxide detectors that are not going off)

I have smoke detectors that are incorporated into my home alarm system. The other day, the one by my front door went off for no apparent reason, twice, and when I changed the batteries, it started alarming again immediately.

there was absolutely no reason for it, there were no open windows or doors nearby, it just went off. so, my alarm company replaced it. installed the new smoke detector yesterday and... it just went off again. completely different smoke detector.

there's absolutely nothing in my house that could produce carbon monoxide, but I have separate CO detectors anyway that aren't going off. there's no smell, there's nothing visible, and these are those ~~electro optical~~ photoelectric style ones.

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[–] [email protected] 47 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Call the fire department, they have detectors that they can use to look for gas leaks and other things that can set off a detector.

You can also call your gas provider. One of those two should be able to track it down, it could be a lot of things, but two different smoke detectors going off in the same location is a huge red flag.

Best case, you have something kicking up fine dust, worst case, you have a smouldering electric fire in your wall somewhere.

Don't panic, but also do not ignore this.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 5 months ago (2 children)

The weird thing is, it alarmed three times in its current position, but when I changed the battery, it started alarming in my hands in a completely different room, which I already had two other smoke detectors in it that weren't going off.

and there's no gas. I live outside Miami

[–] [email protected] 27 points 5 months ago

This makes it sound like it's probably just a defective detector. Swap it with one that hasn't been going off and see if that one starts going off too. If it doesn't then odds are something just failed in it.

You could also just try blowing some air through it to blow out any dust. But it shouldn't be that dusty after only a year so I'm still leaning towards defective.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

~~Sounds like a bad unit, try replacing it. The fact it’s going off elsewhere and no other detectors go off says it’s the unit.~~

I missed that you changed units, check your wires.

If the new unit starts going off, you may have a switched wire between your signal (red) and your hot (black) that fried the unit.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

it's not hardwired, my security system is entirely wireless

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Then some signal from the base unit alerts all units that one detector has gone off, to alarm the home. Either the base unit is sending a false signal, or some outside signal is mimicking the signal.

Personally I’d install a standalone detector in that spot.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

I'm slowly concluding this might have something to do with my Ring Doorbell and a new Chime I've added to that system, or cobwebs. I've thoroughly dusted this corner of the wall and ceiling now, and the chime stopped working anyway so