[Hidden-tech] Fire alarm system

[Rob Laporte]

In August I posted about a huge help replated to a similar problem I've had 2-3 times per year since I can remember. That post, copied below, and its replies explain that typical cheap battery testers don't test remaining power in batteries (!), and my post links to the only affordable tester I found that does. With it, I tested remaining power in every smoke detector, then taped a post-it to the outside indicating manufacture and expiration dates and battery level.

I did so for all but one on a high ceiling in my office, and by demonic coincidence the next day that one went off--hit its manufacture expiration date!--and it set off the other first alert nearby, which was/is newish and plenty charged, so it seems they are designed to set one another off.

As an aside, Amazon shipped my ZTS tester in an envelope, not a box, which a ZTS tech and I agreed probably caused the failure of a part of the device, so I returned it and ordered direct from ZTS.

That testing and labeling system is the best solution I've been able to come up with after only an hour or so of researching better smoke detector systems, so I'm all ears if someone knows of a better system--like one that gives advanced warning to an app that the battery or device expiration is coming in ~30 days. Avoiding just one of those sleep-shattering mishaps makes the $50 tested sooo worthwhile, and now I'm sure I'll avoid plenty more sleep and work losses in the future.


From:Hidden-discuss <hidden-discuss-bounces at lists.hidden-tech.net> on behalf of Rob Laporte via Hidden-discuss <hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net>
Sent:Saturday, August 15, 2020 6:06 PM
To:Hidden-Tech Tech <hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net>
Subject:[Hidden-tech] Dying (,) Batteries, and Testers

I bet I’m not the only one who, over years, has been dismayed that battery testers for small batteries, like for smoke detectors and remotes, just don’t tell you much. It’s because all the cheap ones don’t actually test the power in the battery. What do they test? Not sure, but not percentage of power remaining, except within a useless range close to the line between red and green. It was perhaps too joyous a moment for me when I used a real battery tester, and within a few minutes could throw out, save, or recharge all my batteries. Next I’ll test all batteries in my smoke detectors to avoid the schedule-shattering low-battery warning that usually happens around 3am.

So that such knowledge so consequential in ending accumulated annoyances does not taper off with my existence, I thought I’d pass on the good news here. Not exactly the second coming, but at least a few steps out of a mini-purgatory. Here’s what I bought: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DRJZRJ4 .


Take Care,


Rob Laporte

Chief Business Development Officer | Founder | Chairman

DISC - Making Websites Make Money

413-584-6500

rob at 2disc.com<mailto:rob at 2disc.com> | LinkedIn<https://www.linkedin.com/in/2disc/> | 2DISC.com<https://www.2disc.com>


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________________________________
From: Hidden-discuss <hidden-discuss-bounces at lists.hidden-tech.net> on behalf of Mark D. Hamill via Hidden-discuss <hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net>
Sent: Friday, October 2, 2020 9:50 AM
To: email list Hidden-Tech <Hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net>
Subject: [Hidden-tech] Fire alarm system

All our fire alarms went off at home yesterday, in spite of having the windows open. That started a frantic effort to replace batteries on the dozen or so alarms, but some said we needed to replace the batteries even after we replaced them. So a number of alarms were physically unplugged.

These came with the house and are First Alert brand, testing for smoke and carbon monoxide. They are five years old. Individual alarms put out piercing low battery warnings at any time, often in the middle of the night. To say the least, it's inconvenient.

I'm guessing these alarms all talk to each other. Maybe they are on the same circuit.

In any event, this is unacceptable. It's scaring the cats half to death. What I really need is a fire alarm monitoring system that can tell me if a battery or unit needs replacing before it starts chirping, ideally one I can monitor on a computer, ideally something that doesn't require a subscription to a service. Anything like this out there?
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