highlandham wrote:
On 14/06/15 01:20, 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! :-)

de Irv VE6BP
=======
Thank you Irv for the compliment.

BTW ,not Scottish but originally from PA-land

Frank , GM0CSZ / KN6WH

Yes -- I caught it with the callsigns, but thought it was worth a
smiling jibe!

Irv