Smoke Detectors

[RobWNY]

As part of getting things ready to leave for the winter, I started wondering about the smoke and CO detectors in my house. They are battery operated and not on any kind of system that would alert a fire department of their activation. Since the house will be vacant, does it matter if I remove the batteries? What do all of you do that have a similar situation?

[joebedford]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Insurance Company......????
ANY statement from Agent should be in writing/signed-dated!

I have learned that nothing the agent says is worth anything. You need it in writing from the UNDERWRITER.

[B_O__Plenty]

RobWNY wrote:

WVcampground wrote:

RobWNY wrote:

I do have an alarm system with glass breakage, motion, temperature, water and entry sensors along with some cameras that activate with motion. Besides being monitored by the alarm company, I get phone notifications as well.

Why not get smokes and CO's that are tied into your alarm and monitoring? All security companies can get battery operated - wireless smoke and CO detectors that can be put on a system, even if it's currently hard wired.

I plan on doing that in a couple of years. I replaced all of my smoke/CO detectors last Spring and installed the alarm system this past Summer. I want to get a couple of years use out of them at least. I hate feeling like I threw my money away.

Put those new ones in your RV then put new ones in your house that are connected to your security system.

[RobWNY]

WVcampground wrote:

RobWNY wrote:

I do have an alarm system with glass breakage, motion, temperature, water and entry sensors along with some cameras that activate with motion. Besides being monitored by the alarm company, I get phone notifications as well.

Why not get smokes and CO's that are tied into your alarm and monitoring? All security companies can get battery operated - wireless smoke and CO detectors that can be put on a system, even if it's currently hard wired.

I plan on doing that in a couple of years. I replaced all of my smoke/CO detectors last Spring and installed the alarm system this past Summer. I want to get a couple of years use out of them at least. I hate feeling like I threw my money away.

[WVcampground]

RobWNY wrote:

I do have an alarm system with glass breakage, motion, temperature, water and entry sensors along with some cameras that activate with motion. Besides being monitored by the alarm company, I get phone notifications as well.

Why not get smokes and CO's that are tied into your alarm and monitoring? All security companies can get battery operated - wireless smoke and CO detectors that can be put on a system, even if it's currently hard wired.

[RobWNY]

Good advice everyone. I'll leave the batteries in and working.

[esyers]

Tvov wrote:
Yes, leave the alarms on. Doesn't hurt anything, and might help save your house.

In my town, we (I am in the fire department) certainly do respond to a few calls a year where a neighbor or a passerby hears an alarm going off and that person calls 911.

X2

[Tvov]

Yes, leave the alarms on. Doesn't hurt anything, and might help save your house.

In my town, we (I am in the fire department) certainly do respond to a few calls a year where a neighbor or a passerby hears an alarm going off and that person calls 911.

[RobWNY]

NatParkJunkie wrote:
If you have an Amazon Alexa device, you can enable a feature called Alexa Guard. The device will listen for breaking glass and smoke detector alarms. If it hears either, it will send a push notification to your phone to let you know. I played a breaking glass sound effect and pushed the smoke detector test button to try it out. It notifies your phone, and lets you listen in to hear what's happening in your house.
Obviously not the same as a full security system. But a cheap way to let you know that something might be going on.

I don't have an Amazon Alexa device but I do have an alarm system with glass breakage, motion, temperature, water and entry sensors along with some cameras that activate with motion. Besides being monitored by the alarm company, I get phone notifications as well.

[NatParkJunkie]

If you have an Amazon Alexa device, you can enable a feature called Alexa Guard. The device will listen for breaking glass and smoke detector alarms. If it hears either, it will send a push notification to your phone to let you know. I played a breaking glass sound effect and pushed the smoke detector test button to try it out. It notifies your phone, and lets you listen in to hear what's happening in your house.
Obviously not the same as a full security system. But a cheap way to let you know that something might be going on.

[ksg5000]

I remove the batteries - what good is an alarm when there is nobody around to hear it?

[Old-Biscuit]

"There were no working fire/Smoke Detectors in the Home".

Fire Dept stresses this because of casualties/deaths to OCCUPANTS

Insurance Company......????
ANY statement from Agent should be in writing/signed-dated!



Oh..just leave the batteries in it.
Why do you think you need to remove....occupied or not????????

[RobWNY]

I have the smoke detectors that claim a 10 year battery life and installed Lithium Ion 9v batteries in them. I'll leave them in but will check with my insurance agent regarding this.

[Me_Again]

RobWNY wrote:
I ask because you hear stories all the time when disaster strikes, where the fire department makes a point to say "There were no working fire/Smoke Detectors in the Home". I don't know if that creates a snag when negotiating a settlement with the Insurance company or if the fire officials are just stressing the importance of detectors.

Just a side note, the American Red Cross has a program to install free smoke detectors with 10 year batteries. We had them do it for our 5th wheel in a NW park and in our park model here in Arizona. Chris

[MFL]

IIRC, I get a small discount on homeowner's insurance by having functional fire alarms. I doubt insurance would deny a claim if no one home, batteries removed, but no real reason to not leave the batteries in. I would leave them, even if gone long term.

So much fine print, where insurance is involved, such as, insured household occupied, which yours may not qualify, if gone for 3-4 months? May want to ask your agent.

Jerry