Willy's Whimsical Wednesday Words of Wisdom

Smoke alarms save lives.There are several reliable types available. Hard wired smoke alarms lend themselves to connecting to your security system. So if the dog chases the cat or the cat pays the dog back for some earlier slight and the quarrel knocks over a lamp that starts to smoke, you get a notice on your phone. Which gives you a chance to call 911, or sit the dog and cat down together for a long talk or a time out.

Ionization vs photoelectric:  Photoelectric smoke detectors are ideal for detecting smoke from smoldering fires, while ionization smoke alarms detect smoke from fast, flaming fires. My cooking as an example.

Ionization detection works by having a tiny amount of the radioactive material Americium 241, that acts to ionize nitrogen and oxygen to create a small electrical current that in turn triggers an alarm. The main drawback for ionization alarms is that they are prone to false/nuisance alarms and are consequently also prone to being disconnected. The danger of nuisance alarms was manifested by the fact that ionization smoke alarms were almost 5 times more likely to be disconnected 6 months after installation compared with photoelectric alarms. What to do? Photoelectric in the bedrooms for smoldering fire and Ionization in the main living area and kitchen? Some testing companies have suggested that dual service photoelectric/ionization smoke alarms are not as reliable. I don't know, but I do know that no matter how frustrating and annoying that little chirp can be, deal with it! Please get it fixed.

Don't forget to make sure that smoke alarm is working when you go to sleep camping in your RV as well.

Have a Willy Great Day!