Smoke alarm and cooking

[aracer]

My smoke alarm goes off when I do pretty much any cooking - I'm not burning things here, just doing normal cooking, or even just making (non burnt) toast. Is this a problem other people have, and is there any solution to it other than taking the battery out of the alarm?

 

In a house the smoke alarm would have a door between it and the kitchen, something I don't have on my boat - the only option would be to put it inside of the bedroom as that's the only door between there and the kitchen, but I'd quite like the alarm to go off before smoke reaches the bedroom!

[Nut]

why not buy a

https://www.fireangel.co.uk/products/so-601  and see if this will work for you

[Tumshie]

6 hours ago, aracer said:

My smoke alarm goes off when I do pretty much any cooking

Has it always done this or is it a relatively new occurrence, because if it hasn't always done it it could be the battery.

[bastion]

1 hour ago, Nut said:

why not buy a

https://www.fireangel.co.uk/products/so-601  and see if this will work for you

Got the same problem only started when I brought Fireangel. I now have a heat alarm in the kitchen and smoke alarms else where, but the smoke alarms still go off.

[Dr Bob]

Buy a different alarm. Some are more sensitive than others. We had one that went off often but was easy to take down if it did. When that died, we got a new one that is more difficult to take down but hardly ever goes off.....but does when I burn the toast.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

There are three basic types of smoke alarms. Ionisation, optical and heat.

https://www.fireservice.co.uk/safety/smoke-alarms/

The fireangel one linked to by Nut is optical and this type is less prone to false alarm near where cooking is going on. Unfortunately, they are more expensive than the ionisation "cooking detector" type alarms. Or it could just be your cooking!?

 

Jen

[MtB]

I know this is a politically unacceptable view to put forward, but why not do what we all used to do before smoke alarms were invented?

 

Take great care not to set fire to your boat in the first place. 

 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

Just now, Mike the Boilerman said:

I know this is a politically unacceptable view to put forward, but why not do what we all used to do before smoke alarms were invented?

 

Take great care not to set fire to your boat in the first place. 

 

 

But, but, but, that means taking responsibility, that's not allowed in this "Brave New World"

[Chewbacka]

1 hour ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

There are three basic types of smoke alarms. Ionisation, optical and heat.

https://www.fireservice.co.uk/safety/smoke-alarms/

The fireangel one linked to by Nut is optical and this type is less prone to false alarm near where cooking is going on. Unfortunately, they are more expensive than the ionisation "cooking detector" type alarms. Or it could just be your cooking!?

 

Jen

I use a heat alarm on the ceiling between my wood burner and lpg cooker and an optical alarm above the bed.  Not had a false alarm so far with this set up, but used to get a lot before I replaced the ionisation smoke detector with the heat detector.  As Jen says they cost a bit more, but it’s worth it.  Hate alarm noise.

1 hour ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

I know this is a politically unacceptable view to put forward, but why not do what we all used to do before smoke alarms were invented?

 

Take great care not to set fire to your boat in the first place. 

 

 

Same with CO alarms, and fully comp insurance, not needed if you take care, but I have both just in case.

[Lysander]

Like the OP, we have the alarm going off when any cooking is being done, however carefully. We have also had false alarms when we are nowhere near the boat and someone from the marina has had to deal with it. So we leave the battery out of the smoke alarm during the day and when we are not on the boat. We only have the battery installed at night when we are on the boat.

We have the same problem in the house but at least there we have the option of closing doors between the kitchen and the alarm unlike on the boat.

[aracer]

Thanks everybody - it occurs to me that I don't think it has always been a problem, so I'll check the battery. Otherwise thanks for the recommendations - that fireangel is hardly going to break the bank. I'll also look into heat detectors - it's a good prompt to have a think about these things and as my I've just put my son to bed on the boat tonight that also concentrates the mind a bit on safety.

11 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

I know this is a politically unacceptable view to put forward, but why not do what we all used to do before smoke alarms were invented?

 

Take great care not to set fire to your boat in the first place. 

 

 

Well I try and do that too, but pesky things like the BSSC and my insurance presumably want me to have a smoke alarm whatever my opinion might be. 

[Alan de Enfield]

11 minutes ago, aracer said:

Well I try and do that too, but pesky things like the BSSC and my insurance presumably want me to have a smoke alarm whatever my opinion might be.

 

Nope.

 

The BSS is not about protecting YOU, it is about protecting other canal users from explosion, fuel or sewage discharge etc.

 

No need for any ventilation, smoke detectors of CO alarms - you can kill yourself if you want to, but woe-betide you if your pump-out tank is not correctly labelled.

[MtB]

27 minutes ago, aracer said:

but pesky things like the BSSC and my insurance presumably want me to have a smoke alarm whatever my opinion might be. 

 

No they don't. 

 

 

[WotEver]

46 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

No need for any ventilation, smoke detectors of CO alarms - you can kill yourself if you want to, but woe-betide you if your pump-out tank is not correctly labelled.

[Momac]

I have an ordinary smoke alarm and it doe snot sound when cooking.

I suggest you get a new one. They are not expensive........or possibly free

https://www.latestfreestuff.co.uk/free-smoke-alarm/

 

https://www.wilko.com/en-uk/ei-electronics-smoke-alarm-twin-pack/p/0276217?nst=0&gclid=Cj0KCQiA8f_eBRDcARIsAEKwRGcK07FE1zDJsbfd5eDVhnKoG72z5DIQ9CQU6bd_FoEs2lAYuW5JXRYaAn6IEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

 

[Guest]

10 minutes ago, MartynG said:

I have an ordinary smoke alarm and it doe snot sound when cooking.

I suggest you get a new one. They are not expensive........or possibly free

https://www.latestfreestuff.co.uk/free-smoke-alarm/

 

https://www.wilko.com/en-uk/ei-electronics-smoke-alarm-twin-pack/p/0276217?nst=0&gclid=Cj0KCQiA8f_eBRDcARIsAEKwRGcK07FE1zDJsbfd5eDVhnKoG72z5DIQ9CQU6bd_FoEs2lAYuW5JXRYaAn6IEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

 

I would be amazed if those cheapos from wilkos would not activate in the confines of a boat when somebody was cooking.

[Momac]

1 minute ago, MJG said:

I would be amazed if those cheapos from wilkos would not activate in the confines of a boat when somebody was cooking.

Just a suggestion. I have had free issue in the  past and they have been okay. But not the ones pictures in the Wilco ad.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, MartynG said:

Just a suggestion. I have had free issue in the  past and they have been okay. But not the ones pictures in the Wilco ad.

My late mother in law had a free issue one installed by our local fire service.

It regularly activated whilst she was cooking, and that was in a house.

 

Have you actually tested yours is ok? Not with a battery test button press but with a source of smoke?

[Momac]

The one I have us a Fire Angel. Retails at £12 At toolstation. 

[Guest]

Just now, MartynG said:

The one I have us a Fire Angel. Retails at £12 At toolstation. 

Yes, but have you tested it?

[aracer]

Strangely enough the one I currently have looks exactly like those Wilko ones! It did occur to me that it probably hasn't always been a problem so checked the battery, but it's fine. Though it also now seems to have become much less of a problem, I do seem to mostly be able to cook without setting it off (and it's just telling me when I have burnt the toast!) Still thinking I might replace it with something better, £10 is hardly going to break the bank,

[MtB]

On 03/11/2018 at 21:23, Alan de Enfield said:

 

No need for any ventilation, smoke detectors of CO alarms - you can kill yourself if you want to, but woe-betide you if your pump-out tank is not correctly labelled.

 

Or if your batteries are not securely fixed down, as each time your boat turns upside down the sparks from the ripping cables will kill all the viewing bystanders.

 

Apparently.  

 

 

[Tony Brooks]

On 03/11/2018 at 09:46, Mike the Boilerman said:

I know this is a politically unacceptable view to put forward, but why not do what we all used to do before smoke alarms were invented?

 

Take great care not to set fire to your boat in the first place. 

 

 

Funny that. I do have a CO alarm but will not ave a smoke alarm for the reasons stated and when Northampton Fire Brigade were doing feel alarm plus a fire safety inspection at the marina ha dno answer for the reasons I refused an free alarm and sort of part acknowledged the problem,

[Momac]

9 hours ago, MJG said:

Yes, but have you tested it?

By pressing the test button - yes  , but not recently so I should give it a go.

By setting fire to the boat - no

 

We have a similar thing at home and it has been known to go off for example if the toast gets burned .

 

Are you saying these alarms are no good? 

Edited November 6, 2018 by MartynG

[Momac]

The fire angel alarm doesn't get triggered on the boat by cooking. I would add we don't do fry ups on the boat and usually have a window open for ventilation when cooking   - which may help avoid false alarms .

The alarm  is at a high point inside the boat not far from the galley but not directly over the galley . 

I also have a co alarm.

These alarms are not mandatory for the BSS but I think they should be  and I think they will be in due course.

 

We did not have these things  in the past and probably at some time didn't bother with fire blankets and fire extinguishers .  I suspect fire safety awareness has improved significantly over the years . But better to have an alarm and other safety equipment than not.