(Part 2) Best smoke detectors & fire alarms according to redditors
We found 104 Reddit comments discussing the best smoke detectors & fire alarms. We ranked the 49 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
Smoke detectors can go for ~$100 each if they are sort of fancy. But most with modern features are about $30 each. Absolutely ask for receipts.
Do yourself a favor, and pick up a smoke alarm too.
I don't think i've ever seen a Prusa catch fire, but 3d printers have been known to catch fire, and for $7 it's better to be safe than sorry. I grabbed one of those when I was building my lack enclosure a few years ago, and it's cheap and extremely simple to install (you can just stick it somewhere near/above the printer, and you like twist it into the base and it activates the non-replaceable battery).
You need to get some hardwired fire alarms. The type with rechargeable batteries.
Then they stay charged off of house current, but still work if the house current fails.
I hacked one of those dual-sensor ion/photoelectric combination alarms. It now has a telephone jack coming out the side, and a telephone wire connects it to a Raspberry Pi. This supplies dedicated power and communicates with the alarm to text me/email me/play an alarm on my phone when the detector goes off (sounds like a school siren). I can then pull up my camera feed and see what set it off. It also sends out a heartbeat signal to a central server, which will alert me if it hasn't received anything from the detector in a while.
It actually works pretty well. It's sitting right above the stove and has very very few false alarms. I could probably eliminate them entirely if I tweaked my programming a bit.
The smoke detector I used as a basis for my mods: First Alert Smoke Alarm
No need to wait, the detectors I installed 4 years ago are dual sensor..
First Alert Smoke Detector, Photoelectric and Ionized Alarm | Hardwired with Battery Backup, BRK 3120B https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O8MVW44/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_0NlxDb1GPSJNP
You’re right. I saw that center part and I looked it up. Kidde makes strobing smoke detectors (most likely for the hard of hearing) and here it is: Kidde P4010ACLEDS-2 Smoke Alarm
I replaced all the 15 year old builder-grade detectors in my house with Kiddee ones. The new ones came with 2 different adaptors, PLUS a bare-wire adapter. Luckily for me, one of the adapters works just fine. I loosened the existing baseplate, turned it to remove it, then put the new Kiddee plate on, turned it, tightened the screws, then plugged the new units into the existing house wire plug and it works fine.
I specifically bought that brand because it is also compatible with their wireless units, and I needed to add a few more for total coverage in my home.
Here's what I bought:
WIRED:
https://www.amazon.com/Kidde-RF-SM-AC-Hardwire-Wireless-Interconnect/dp/B00PC5S5UK/ref=pd_sim_60_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=1RD8TFK1T36V58M4DZ0T
WIRELESS:
https://www.amazon.com/Kidde-RF-SM-DC-Wireless-Interconnect-Battery-Operated/dp/B00PC5S37K/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1483835173&sr=8-16&keywords=kidde+smoke+detector
tl;dr: The new ones should be compatible.
Sure. I mean (cheap) ones that aren't hooked to the mains - something like this.
I purchased my house in Dec 2014 in Northern Virginia and promptly replaced all the smoke detectors with the ones from Costco, and not 3 months later did I return them. Total crap. Behaved the exact same way you are experiencing.
I called my county Fire Marshal and asked her if the county had some kind of suggested list, or discount on purchasing through them, etc. No, nothing, they cannot make any specific suggestions.
That being said, she told me that some Fire Marshal Association that she is part of suggests that you buy a detector that has dual Photoelectric and ionization sensors. I asked her what she put in her house and she told me the Kidde PI2010, but again, she could not make any suggestions...hint-hint, wink-wink.
I also have a Nest Protect on my main level, with the eventual goal of putting one on each level (basement, main, and upper).
https://www.amazon.com/Kidde-SM120X-Detector-Hardwired-I-Combo/dp/B00XWD8AHM/
I googled a bit and found this:
https://www.amazon.com/First-Alert-PR700LB-Smoke-Lithium/dp/B019YOPRTG
It's got a different type of sensor than most detectors that doesn't go off for cooking. The reviews even specifically say it solved your issue.
Perhaps you could ask your landlord to switch to units that have these types of sensors?
You may be able to salvage this with him. Ask him if he will accept intumescent paint:
https://www.amazon.com/INSL-X-Products-FR110099-01-INS-LX-Retardant/dp/B01B346SCK
Should allow you to use the product you want, and the fume protection he wants.
They look like this..
Edit: Found some on amazon; but a bit more expensive: Amazon link.
Thanks! Is BRK somehow related with First Alert now?
https://www.amazon.com/First-Alert-9120LBL-Hardwire-Battery/dp/B01F8POAAW/
I see a BRK9120LB* that's branded alternatively as BRK or First Alert with a BRK product code.
They were something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WRSTQJM
Like any 3m command strip product YMMV depending on the surface you are trying to mount it on.
You are probably better off just using smoke alarm dust covers if you know you will be cooking something smoky. https://www.amazon.com/Kidde-Smoke-Alarm-Paint-6-Pack/dp/B079K34JTG
I have the same concern, so I'm getting:
The smoke detector will be mounted inside the printer's enclosure. The SM120X relay will turn on the Iot Relay box via it's normally closed contacts. The printer and accessories are plugged into the Iot relay. Thereby, if the smoke detector goes off, which should happen pretty quickly given the small enclosed space, power will immediately be cut to the entire printer.
As a phase two, I'm going to add a CO2 suppression system:
I'd plug the solenoid into and additional Iot relay, this time wired to the normally open contacts of the SM120X relay.
In the final system, any smoke would cause the printers power to be shut off and the enclosure filled with CO2. Given the amount of CO2 (~40 cubic feet in a 10 cubic foot enclosure, it would not only smother any actual fire, but cool down the printer significantly.
Wish I saw this thread before buying the status indicator. This thing's going to give me epilepsy!
Thinking this might be worth a try:
https://www.amazon.com/LightDims-White-Dims-Electronics-Appliances/dp/B00OOA7Q3G/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1521675023&sr=8-11&keywords=light+dims
Bullshit
First Alert Battery Powered Smoke Alarm with Silence Button, SA303CN3 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BD6BSG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_I5e3Db0TG5DW6
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Command-Large-Picture-Hanging-Strips/3231526?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-hdw-_-google-_-lia-_-145-_-picturehangingand3m-_-3231526-_-0&store_code=1826&placeholder=null&gclid=CjwKCAiAlO7uBRANEiwA_vXQ-6gDJBnMR02-d-LAu0APuXm8Q-fc5RsTeJZ5T2B8LVRUsLUBuLut7xoCYB8QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
There are smoke alarms that flash. I wear CI and have these
https://www.amazon.com/BRK-7010BSL-Photoelectric-Integrated-Strobe/dp/B0064S9NAU/ref=sr_1_32?keywords=Flashing+smoke+alarms&qid=1572350697&sr=8-32
Something like this then?
I bought a combination of these two:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000YC535Q/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EVO7C2/
I like how they interconnect with each other so that if any of them alert, they all alert. It also has voice alert to tell you where and what type of hazard there is.
I installed 1 combo Carbon Monoxide on each floor of my house, and then the straight smoke detectors in almost every other room.
Or just pick up some of these and don't worry about running a bunch of wires: https://www.amazon.com/First-Alert-SA511CN2-3ST-Smoke-Alarm/dp/B000YC535Q/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=wireless+smoke+detector&qid=1562997929&s=gateway&sr=8-6
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000BD6BSG/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1520525452&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=fire+detector&dpPl=1&dpID=41kH5ZQu12L&ref=plSrch