Smoke Alarm
Something new has happened in our rig: replacing the smoke alarm battery has not stopped the alarm from beeping occasionally. Why? We winterize our rig and put it under cover for the Winter. Twi...
Forum Discussion
RobWNY wrote:
Anyone know of a smoke detector for the RV that doesn't go off when making toast? No smoke, No fire, Just your normal toaster doing it's thing. Sets our detector off every time.
An ionization smoke alarm contains a small amount of radioactive material. The radiation passes through an ionization chamber which is an air-filled space between two electrodes and permits a small, constant current between the electrodes. Any smoke that enters the chamber absorbs the alpha particles, which reduces the ionization and interrupts this current, setting off the alarm. This type of alarm responds best to fast raging fires.
Photoelectric smoke alarms operate using a light source, a light beam collimating system and a photoelectric sensor. When smoke enters the optical chamber and crosses the path of the light beam, some light is scattered by the smoke particles, directing it at the sensor and thus activating the alarm. This type of alarm responds best to slow smoldering fires.
A Photoelectric smoke alarm is a better choice in the kitchen. it will give fewer false alarms due to cooking.
