Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Smoke alarm added to bedroom  (Read 561 times) previous topic - next topic

Smoke alarm added to bedroom

About a year ago I bought a long life battery operated smoke alarm for the bedroom. On a whim I decided to mount it with a piece of industrial strength Velcro using just the hook half of the Velcro. It has been hanging from the Ozite ceiling material like a champ.

At the same time I added a fire extinguisher in a niche beside the bedroom drawer stack on the floor. I went up a size from the standard extinguisher provided in most RVs. Now I have two, one in front and one in bedroom.
1998 36 foot U270 Build No. 5328 WTFE, 900 watts solar, Victron controller, B2B, bat monitor, 600 AMPH lithium with 2018 Chevy Colorado toad, SKP #110239, Motorcade #17781, 2021 Escape 17B for when Coach is broken down and campsites are too small, retired and full-timer since Dec. 2020. Part of RV family since 1963.

Re: Smoke alarm added to bedroom

Reply #1 –
Hope you are also using a battery powered CO detector in the bedroom as it will likely keep one from waking up dead from a gas generator or engine running near by. We support having dual CO detectors around bedroom to better insure redundancy.

Re: Smoke alarm added to bedroom

Reply #2 –
Also remember that age matters when it comes to alarms,  even if still appears to work, sensors become less sensitive over time.  I think its in the 5-7 year range that they should be replaced.

Quote from: Barry & Cindy –
as it will likely keep one from waking up dead
Last time I woke up dead, it nearly killed me.  ;D
2000 / 36' / U320 / WTFE
WildEBeest / "Striving to put right what once went wrong"

Re: Smoke alarm added to bedroom

Reply #3 –
Know in this situation, somethings are preventable if notification is received.

Re: Smoke alarm added to bedroom

Reply #4 –
Unfortunately I had to learn the hard way that having a fire extinguisher with a house fire between use and the fire doesn't work very well.
A crack in the chimney liner in our old farmhouse we bought allowed the fire from our wood stove to get thru to the wood beam and then the fire started outside the stove. I managed to get the fire department to us in quick order and they put out the fire. They suggested I get a fire extinguisher and put it alongside our bed where I could just reach out and grab it.
Such a good, common sense idea that I bought fire extinguishers for us, my parents, my closest sister, and my closest uncle.
Right now we have one next to our bed and had one next to the bed in the coach, along with adding one to the factory installed one by the entry door. Redundancy is better than nothing.
A lot like the old saying that it is better to have a gun and not needing it than needing a gun and not having it.
Nitehawk,  Demolition Lady, & our NEW master, Zippy the speeding BB cat.
1989 Grand Villa 36' ORED
Oshkosh chassis, 8.2 DD V8
2006 Saturn Vue AWD

Re: Smoke alarm added to bedroom

Reply #5 –
Quote from: steve –
I think its in the 5-7 year range that they should be replaced.

The tribal knowledge I've gotten from my experience with our fire dept has been 10 yrs for residential heads.  I'm not sure if there's a study or mfg that recommends that duration, but it's what we've always told people.  Edit - here's the same recommendation from the Texas Dept of Insurance.

But that doesn't stop them from failing early - just had a combination smoke/CO alarm last night that malfunctioned and activated.  Mfg date was Oct 2019.  IMO, it's not worth trying to figure out why it activated, just replace it since they're magically programmed to malfunction between 2 AM and 3 AM.
Steve and Cassi
2007 Foretravel Nimbus 42'

Re: Smoke alarm added to bedroom

Reply #6 –
Quote from: stevej –
But that doesn't stop them from failing early - just had a combination smoke/CO alarm last night that malfunctioned and activated.  Mfg date was Oct 2019.  IMO, it's not worth trying to figure out why it activated, just replace it since they're magically programmed to malfunction between 2 AM and 3 AM.

The reason that they go off between 2 and 3 AM is a combination of dust in the sensor and high humidity.  If you take your vacuum and run it around the SD it should solve the problem. 

As temps cool in the home the humidity starts to condense on the dust and then the senor thinks there is smoke and goes into alarm

I have been woken up way more time then I care when I get a call with someone complaining their smoke detector went off at 2-3AM
2014 ih45  (4th Foretravel owned)
 1997 36' U295 Sold in 2020, owned for 19 years
  U240 36' Sold to insurance company after melting in garage fire
    33' Foretravel on Dodge Chassis  Sold very long time ago

Re: Smoke alarm added to bedroom

Reply #7 –
Rooms we sleep in have a CO detector. We carry one when we travel, and also have a CO detector in our Jeep. It is just cheap protection, and may have saved the lives of unfortunate travelers that have been reported in the news over the years.

Re: Smoke alarm added to bedroom

Reply #8 –
I have a smoke alarm near the door and co alarm in the bedroom .
Any propane powered device has the possibility of exhaust leak .  I try to not die of stupid. I have plenty of other methods . Race cars ,planes , motorcycles. 
Fire extinguisher near the bedroom and at the exit door .