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My kidde photoelectric smoke alarm, fairly new, has been having false alarms at seemingly random hours. 6am. 10pm. 2pm. Whenever. Any general thoughts on what it could be? We're a windows open people and the humidity and temperature have been all over. Plus smokey air in general, campfires, mosquito incense coils, i can smell it all inside... Could that be it?
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Jul 24, 2023 03:14
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| # ? May 31, 2024 03:45 |
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Jenkl posted:My kidde photoelectric smoke alarm, fairly new, has been having false alarms at seemingly random hours. 6am. 10pm. 2pm. Whenever. your smoke detector is detecting smoke (from Canadian wildfires)
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Jul 24, 2023 14:45
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It wasn't doing this during the worst of it a couple weeks back, but started this week. So confusing.
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Jul 24, 2023 14:59
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Jenkl posted:It wasn't doing this during the worst of it a couple weeks back, but started this week. So confusing. Sometimes dust or something gets in/near the sensors and they go crazy IME.
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Jul 24, 2023 15:07
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Sometimes those smoke detectors are cheaply made, as are the batteries they come with, and they fail. Often the easiest course of action is to replace the offending unit with a new one and a good, fresh battery.
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Jul 24, 2023 15:13
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Someone here, maybe in the tools thread, or somewhere else said that kidde stuff kinda sucks. Take that however you like. I probably have a couple of their fire extinguishers or something, and hopefully I will never have the opportunity to find out if they are right, or how badly they suck.
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Jul 24, 2023 17:35
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I had a smoke detector going off intermittently and when I took it down to figure out why, a spider came out and then it was fixed. So check your smoke detector for spiders.
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Jul 24, 2023 17:46
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Leperflesh posted:I had a smoke detector going off intermittently and when I took it down to figure out why, a spider came out and then it was fixed. So check your smoke detector for spiders.
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Jul 24, 2023 18:00
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Leperflesh posted:I had a smoke detector going off intermittently and when I took it down to figure out why, a spider came out and then it was fixed. So check your smoke detector for spiders. gently caress me lmao I had a PLUG IN detector that was chirping me a while back and that makes so much sense hahahahaha
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Jul 24, 2023 19:02
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Or at least teach your spiders to smoke in the bathroom with the window open
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Jul 24, 2023 19:11
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I’ve heard of occasionally giving smoke detectors a puff of canned air to clean it out. But I think false alarms from errant dust is just a fact of life with photovoltaic detectors; a couple weeks ago I had two detectors in give me an unexplained alarm each at 4am, but they’ve been quiet since (and my house hasn’t burned down).
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Jul 24, 2023 19:15
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Wasabi the J posted:gently caress me lmao I had a PLUG IN detector that was chirping me a while back and that makes so much sense hahahahaha There is still a battery for when the power goes out.
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Jul 24, 2023 19:20
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Yeah this is my first photo whatever guy instead of ionizing. I was bragging the other week about how I hadn't had a kitchen-based false alarm since switching. Guess it's karma. Compressed air is now kept nearby, but still. Oh I was also shocked to discover that new alarms have a feature where you can't hush them if they think the smoke is too heavy. Awesome, except if it's a false alarm. Last observation: my wife did say a fly came out of it the first time. I wonder if this isn't just a series of completely different causes all happening right after each other?
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Jul 24, 2023 19:45
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This one's going to wind up being Fix It Slow, I think. I have a 1931 double-hung sash window in my living room. The idiot before me cut the cords and just left it there, unopenable. As far as I can tell, there is nobody remaining in my low-population area who repairs sash windows, so I'm going to have to do it myself. When I google for instructions, at least half the results are for fixing modern sash windows, which operate on a completely different system. I know I'm going to have to remove trim, but how do I get down into the cavity below the window and retrieve the sash weights? Can anybody recommend a book?
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Jul 24, 2023 19:56
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Arsenic Lupin posted:This one's going to wind up being Fix It Slow, I think. I have a 1931 double-hung sash window in my living room. The idiot before me cut the cords and just left it there, unopenable. As far as I can tell, there is nobody remaining in my low-population area who repairs sash windows, so I'm going to have to do it myself. When I google for instructions, at least half the results are for fixing modern sash windows, which operate on a completely different system. https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3976628
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Jul 24, 2023 20:03
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Arsenic Lupin posted:This one's going to wind up being Fix It Slow, I think. I have a 1931 double-hung sash window in my living room. The idiot before me cut the cords and just left it there, unopenable. As far as I can tell, there is nobody remaining in my low-population area who repairs sash windows, so I'm going to have to do it myself. When I google for instructions, at least half the results are for fixing modern sash windows, which operate on a completely different system. I did a quick google and this is a decent starting point based on the other YouTube recommendations https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LHj6AdIzveU e: also this https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=no7BjntkFsk Dr. Lunchables fucked around with this message at 20:07 on Jul 24, 2023 |
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Jul 24, 2023 20:03
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Arsenic Lupin posted:This one's going to wind up being Fix It Slow, I think. I have a 1931 double-hung sash window in my living room. The idiot before me cut the cords and just left it there, unopenable. As far as I can tell, there is nobody remaining in my low-population area who repairs sash windows, so I'm going to have to do it myself. When I google for instructions, at least half the results are for fixing modern sash windows, which operate on a completely different system. My coworker did this, but the weights were long gone or no longer quite right. He bought / made / rigged up a lead cast for it and made himself all new perfectly balanced weights.
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Jul 24, 2023 21:05
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drat, I hate videos. Also thanks.
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Jul 24, 2023 21:06
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Jenkl posted:
Yeah, my Nest does this, pain in the rear end
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Jul 24, 2023 21:36
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Arsenic Lupin posted:This one's going to wind up being Fix It Slow, I think. I have a 1931 double-hung sash window in my living room. The idiot before me cut the cords and just left it there, unopenable. As far as I can tell, there is nobody remaining in my low-population area who repairs sash windows, so I'm going to have to do it myself. When I google for instructions, at least half the results are for fixing modern sash windows, which operate on a completely different system. Kaiser Schnitzel posted:Ask this person: Yeah you can ask additional questions here or in my thread, but it's pretty easy. It's possible they also took the weights out, but that seems unlikely. You also don't have to do the whole deal I did here. You can just remove the trim holding in the bottom sash, lift the bottom sash out, and then open the weight pockets. You don't even need to remove the top piece of trim, just the two side pieces. When you're doing all this I'd advise lightly misting with water to help keep the dust from going anywhere, because there's probably lead paint in there. If you're going to shop vac it you'll want to get at minimum a drywall bag & filter, although if they make a hepa filter/bag combo for your vac that's better. You could also cover the area in 3 mil plastic and just wet it down, fold it up, and throw it away when you're done. You'll want some sash cord, Killian's hardware is decent for that: https://kilianhardware.com/ Stuff like clothesline will stretch, so it's not advisable to use anything other than sash cord. If the top sash is painted shut you can also just fix the bottom sash and leave the other one in place, I'm just a crazy person. Edit: Craftsman Blog also has a lot of information about restoring windows, although he's trying to sell you stuff from his shop so it can pay to shop around https://thecraftsmanblog.com/topic/how-to/windows/. His "Wood Windows in Depth" book is also in reality "Wood Windows, very generally and without much detail" Danhenge fucked around with this message at 22:27 on Jul 24, 2023 |
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Jul 24, 2023 22:24
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Opopanax posted:Yeah, my Nest does this, pain in the rear end My Nest alarms started false-alarming nonstop while I was on vacation in Hawaii. loving ripped them all back off and hauled them back to the store the second I got back, they weren't even a month old. Shame because I liked the path light.
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Jul 24, 2023 22:29
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I just replaced the boards and stairs on my back porch with green treated lumber. My FIL who is very a knowledgeable and capable handyman, and helped me with the construction, said it would be about 6-8 weeks before I do the staining. This had something to do with the chemicals used to treat the wood. I trust his knowledge and expertise, but I question some of the logic. These boards are all stored at an outdoor lumber yard, and it's not like they were treated the day I picked them up. So what is the difference in them being screwed in place at my house vs being exposed to sun and rain at the lumberyard? Also, I was planning on installing the railing until after I could apply the stain, but as I'm typing this that feels like a very stupid choice. I'd also rather not install railing, wait, disassemble, stain, wait, re-assemble. I don't even know if that's the "best" way to go about it. If it makes any difference the porch is under 30 inches tall, though that might be a regional regulation.
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Jul 24, 2023 22:32
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CzarChasm posted:These boards are all stored at an outdoor lumber yard, and it's not like they were treated the day I picked them up. So what is the difference in them being screwed in place at my house vs being exposed to sun and rain at the lumberyard? They were stacked, not stacked to dry (with air space between them). Now they are in orientations where they can actually dry.
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Jul 24, 2023 22:34
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Motronic posted:They were stacked, not stacked to dry (with air space between them). Now they are in orientations where they can actually dry. To further clarify, at the lumberyard they're stored very densely, basically a gigantic block of solid wood. Lumber that's stored to dry has gaps on all sides so that air can circulate and carry away moisture. But that takes extra labor and extra space.
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Jul 24, 2023 23:00
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CzarChasm posted:I just replaced the boards and stairs on my back porch with green treated lumber. My FIL who is very a knowledgeable and capable handyman, and helped me with the construction, said it would be about 6-8 weeks before I do the staining. This had something to do with the chemicals used to treat the wood. I trust his knowledge and expertise, but I question some of the logic. These boards are all stored at an outdoor lumber yard, and it's not like they were treated the day I picked them up. So what is the difference in them being screwed in place at my house vs being exposed to sun and rain at the lumberyard?
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Jul 25, 2023 01:46
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6-8 weeks seems excessive, the common knowledge I've heard is 2 weeks but w/e I'm a jack leg carpenter Maybe 4 weeks in winter but I'd think 2 weeks of heat and sun should be good
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Jul 25, 2023 18:47
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The needed time to dry depends heavily on local conditions, like humidity and sun exposure. A longer time is recommended to cover more of the extremes, sopping wet wood + a humid location + maybe some cloudy days.
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Jul 25, 2023 18:54
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OK. I'll try the water test this weekend because I did buy and cut it and store them on their ends a few weeks ago, but that was in my garage. I guess I'm just anxious to get this job completed.
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Jul 25, 2023 19:45
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You're awesome, Danhenge. Thank you. What did you eventually decide was the thinnest prybar? e: Also, I see that sashcord comes in sizes. What's the "normal" size? Arsenic Lupin fucked around with this message at 20:13 on Jul 25, 2023 |
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Jul 25, 2023 20:10
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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08Z229HJB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1 These are what my buddy used as his starter lead for casting. His windows are all >120 years old and have original spec wavy glass in them and everything. He's a psycho.
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Jul 25, 2023 20:44
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H110Hawk posted:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08Z229HJB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1 These are what my buddy used as his starter lead for casting. His windows are all >120 years old and have original spec wavy glass in them and everything. He's a psycho. In the great tradition of "they made this rule because of you" there used to be a prolific lead scrap seller on ebay who shipped everything in USPS flat rate boxes. They did not used to have a maximum weight. Now they do.
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Jul 25, 2023 20:52
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Arsenic Lupin posted:You're awesome, Danhenge. Thank you. What did you eventually decide was the thinnest prybar? Looks like I bought #8. I used only a part of a 100 foot length for a single window, so I'd buy 'em one at a time.
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Jul 25, 2023 22:36
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H110Hawk posted:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08Z229HJB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1 These are what my buddy used as his starter lead for casting. His windows are all >120 years old and have original spec wavy glass in them and everything. He's a psycho. Wait, what was he casting? Replacement window weights?
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Jul 26, 2023 01:51
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Danhenge posted:Wait, what was he casting? Replacement window weights? Yes. And now they open and close, top and bottom, and easily glide plus stay where they're set.
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Jul 26, 2023 02:33
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H110Hawk posted:Yes. And now they open and close, top and bottom, and easily glide plus stay where they're set. Were his missing or was he just dissatisfied with the balance?
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Jul 26, 2023 03:58
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Danhenge posted:Were his missing or was he just dissatisfied with the balance? I think it was a mix. He had the frames restored to fix various 120 year old house problems, including fresh wavy glass he like imported from either across the country or Europe. He found someone who makes it the same way they used to. After that the weights were either the wrong balance or simply missing. He's also nuts and thought it would be fun.
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Jul 26, 2023 05:06
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H110Hawk posted:I think it was a mix. He had the frames restored to fix various 120 year old house problems, including fresh wavy glass he like imported from either across the country or Europe. He found someone who makes it the same way they used to. After that the weights were either the wrong balance or simply missing. He's also nuts and thought it would be fun. It sounds fun to me if I was independently wealthy. And yeah, there are places they make new wavy glass, like this place in Baltimore: https://agwglass.com/
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Jul 26, 2023 13:02
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Oh dear. I was changing out all of the incandescent floodlights (recessed BR30, also who the gently caress still buys incandescent bulbs) the previous residents put in this place, and one of them decided I could have the glass bit while the rest stayed put. The Internet is full of advice and tools for changing broken light bulbs, but they all seem to assume you can insert something directly into the bulb's thread cap like in the case of a regular A-type bulb, where the filament doesn't protrude too much. I guess the brute force way would be to break off the ampule while trying to catch the debris. Any suggestions on how I can extract this without showering my bedroom in (more) broken glass?
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Jul 27, 2023 01:57
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First things first make drat sure the breaker is off. I'd try something like needle nose pliers but going wide with them and trying to turn it from the inside
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Jul 27, 2023 02:06
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Discussion Quorum posted:Oh dear. I was changing out all of the incandescent floodlights (recessed BR30, also who the gently caress still buys incandescent bulbs) the previous residents put in this place, and one of them decided I could have the glass bit while the rest stayed put. I'd probably start by putting on a glove, and then putting a plastic bag on my hand and seeing if I can twist the center free while it's largely in the bag. If you don't feel like you can keep the bag from inverting you could put a couple of pieces of masking tape on it to tape it to the ceiling around the fixture to keep anything that falls contained. I'd only move onto some pliers or something if it wouldn't untwist from the socket by hand. Also, I'm sure you know this, but before interacting with it at all, make sure the light switch is off.
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Jul 27, 2023 02:10
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