On 6/13/2015 8:26 PM, rickman wrote:
On 6/13/2015 8:20 PM, Irv Finkleman VE6BP wrote:
Jerry Stuckle wrote:
On 6/13/2015 12:43 PM, highlandham wrote:
On 12/06/15 20:26, Dave Platt wrote:
My understanding is that the sensor in the CO detectors, being
chemically based, does have a limited lifetime. As of 2009, ANSI/UL
specs require that such alarms begin chirping an "end of lifetime"
signal after 5 years of operation... and a couple of weeks after this,
you can no longer turn off the chirp.
==============================
Perhaps OK for CO detectors , but Americium type smoke detectors have a
very long life ; the ones in my house still work well (tested with
smoke) after 22 years, cleaned with a vacuum cleaner,every 2 years.

Frank GM0CSZ / KN6WH in IO87AT

But do they work WITHIN SPECS? A simple smoke test does not tell that.

A smoke detector is not an on/off switch. It is built to trigger on a
certain level of smoke. Both too sensitive and not sensitive enough are
problematic.

I would NOT risk my family's lives on a 22 year old smoke detector!


A 'highland' ham -- sounds scottish to me and that would explain
the 22 years! :-)

What spec would that be? Do brand new units work to this nebulous spec?
If you can't test it, then why swap one untested unit for another
untested unit?


UL specs. And yes, brand new units must work within the stated
specifications, or they would not get UL certified. And it's why they
have limited lifetimes.

But then, like Irv, you can risk your family's life on an old, probably
not working right, smoke detector.

--
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Jerry Stuckle

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