So Much For Home Smoke Detectors

We have a split level house. 4 floors if you opt to include the basment. We have 6 smoke detectors. 2 electric, 2 10-year and 2 we replace the batteries every April and October 1st. The smoke detector at the head of the bedroom floor stairway has always been a PITA. So sensitive it goes off every time we broil steaks.

My husband made some bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches for lunch today. After lunch he went outside to cut some wood, I cleaned up and then went upstairs and took a nap. W/my trusty VPAP Auto w/2L of 02 bled in.

I woke up to my husband screaming what are you burning? What are you burning? I didn't even see or hear anything until I hit the hallway and looked in the 'puter room (that's where the 02 concentrator is). The room is saturated in smoke! I turned the 02 concentrator off and saw the hallway and living were saturated w/smoke!!

I ran downstairs and hubby was turning the stove off and removing the pan of bacon grease - or what HAD been bacon grease.

NOT ONE SMOKE DETECTOR WENT OFF! 3 different types of smoke detectors, 3 different brands, those w/batteries had fresh batteries on the first of this month. One that's always been super-senstive to using the kitchen broiler despite it is in the stairway. AND NOT ONE WENT OFF! He double checked each one and the "checker" went off on each one when he checked them.

The next time I hear a news report of a house fire w/casulties and smoke detectors that weren't working ..... you best better believe that "I" won't believe it was due to negligence of the home owner!!!

The very REASON we have a split level home is because my sister had a house fire that started in the basement in the wiring of an old refrigerator. And we got burned out of our mobile home whilst we were preparing the property to build a house due to a faulty gas line. Plus a neighbor got burned out of their home due to children playing w/matches. All in a 5 year period. W/our split level any child could just climb out a window onto a porch roof w/a short drop to the ground. I wouldn't even let my daughter baby-sit for a neighbor who had a home w/all those high little windows and deadlocks on her front and back door. And we end up w/SIX smoke detectors, one of which can't tolerate a little bit of smoke from the oven's broiler but couldn't detect bacon grease burning on the kitchen stove.

Hell of a way to wake up from a nap!!!

So glad it wasn't anything worse!! I know our smoke detector is really sensitive and there has been a couple of times it has woke me up in the night and not a sign of smoke or fire anywhere. Now I will worry that the stupid thing won't go off if there is a fire.

funny how things work (or dont in this case).

That reminds me that you really should test the smoke detectors occasionally with smoke.

One big thing people don't realize is that you need to throw the detector away every 7 to 10 years as well as change the batteries. This is especially easy to miss on the permanently wired in ones.

I took my electric detector out and replaced it with a 10 year, non replaceable battery model. That's pretty much all I buy these days.

That is scary! Thank God your husband came in when he did!

Two are electric, two are the 10 year non-replaceable battery type and 2 are the replace the battery every year type. That is what is so d*mn scarey about what happened today!!! And they are all brand-name smoke detectors. Every room including the basment was smoke-filled.

We opened all the windows. Turned on the air conditioning. Ran the two fans we have. Ran the bathroom and stove fans. And sprayed w/Febreeze.

And the house still stinks tonight when we had to close it up due to its getting colder out. I've set out bowls of vinegar in each room.

I hope the weather is decent tomorrow so I don't have to freeze all day w/it opened up again. IF it still stinks Monday I'll call our insurance and the fire department to see if they have any suggestions for deoderizing the place. I may never be able to eat bacon again!!!!

Thank you, Sireneh. God bless his heart, hubby has always been here for me when I've needed him.

Definitely not a good way to wake up from a nap. Scary story, Slinky....I am glad everyone is safe at your home.