do smoke detectors wear out?
2007-12-10 14:43:41 · 11 answers · asked by Ken A 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Yes they do eventually. Especially in a house where people smoke, there is a lot of dust and dirt, or there is high humidity. The sensor doesn't work as well as a new detector. But that could be 20 or 30 years. Are you having a problem or just curious?
2007-12-10 15:43:59 · answer #1 · answered by John himself 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Can you run as fast as you did as a teen, can you do strenuous things without hurting the next day. We all break down do to getting older. Smokes are the same. They become less sensitive and dusty over the years. Some suggest every 10 years. I think 7 is probably the best. If you have smokes and they are all hard wired (110v) together I would make sure to change them all at once , and are all the same, as they should be compatible to work with each other.battery back ups should make sure you change e the batteries after a year or sooner if there have been several power failures. Most Fire Depts recommend changing them the day you turn the clocks back in the fall.
Also check on the CO detectors
2007-12-11 09:32:15 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I can relate...this scared me and my family big time!! This happened to me a couple of times last summer when I had construction going on at my house. Sometimes dust particles will cross over a beam in the smoke detector which makes it go off...In this case, all of them went off like what is happening to you. If you clean the detectors with a vaccum, that should do the trick. Also, I was told to cover the detectors with plastic during construction. Just make sure you uncover your detectors at the end of the day. Hope this helps you. If it doesn't, maybe you need to buy new detectors.
2016-05-22 23:23:23 · answer #3 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most smoke detectors have a radioactive isotope that is the heart of the system. The decay rate of this isotope is such that after 10years, the original function and sensitivity is not there. Smoke detectors are so inexpensive these days that the benefit of spending 10-15$ to get a new one to protect your family and home is a no-brainer to me. If any doubt, please get a new one for your family.
2007-12-11 11:57:27 · answer #4 · answered by menasha_rabinowitz 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As they age they become less sensitive due to dust and smoke film building up on the sensor. That is why most commercial systems compensate for age of the detectors.
Either clean them real good or replace them every 10 years or so.
2007-12-10 17:22:18 · answer #5 · answered by mike b 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, but their sensitivity can change with time. The authorities say they should last 10 years. I have one made in the 1960's that still works within spec. My advice is to check them frequently, change the batteries (if any) when they beep and clean them with a vacuum cleaner if they seem too sensitive.
2007-12-10 14:49:29 · answer #6 · answered by Ed 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
They become less sensitive through time. I recommend my clients replace them about every 7 years, which is manufacturer's average usable life span. Keep them clean, don't paint them, change batteries once a year whether they are beeping or not.
2007-12-11 02:23:39 · answer #7 · answered by gr8alarmguy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, they do. Dust, dirt and rust can prevent them from working properly.
2007-12-10 16:24:43 · answer #8 · answered by ROBERT C 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
yes
2007-12-10 15:19:18 · answer #9 · answered by John S 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
they probally can but there is no reason to risk it get a new one and i would get one that also detects carbon monoxide too.
2007-12-10 15:06:04 · answer #10 · answered by Jonathan D 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋