View Full Version : Rantings of an old man: Smoke detector brackets
Platapus
10-03-21, 09:22 AM
I decided to replace all the smoke detectors in my house. They were 10 years old and the manufacturer suggests replacement.
I admit that I made an error in assuming that the mountings for smoke detectors was standardized across manufacturers. My bad. :oops:
I purchased some nice ones but found out that they were incompatible with the existing mounting brackets. I did not want to go through the hassle of having to change all the mountings. I returned these detectors.
So I researched the manufacturer and ordered the exact same model smoke detector that I already had. My intention was to keep the existing mountings and just change the detector.
It turned out that the mountings of the EXACT same model were almost identical... almost, but not quite. So in the end I had to do what I wanted to avoid in the first place -- having to remove the old brackets and install new brackets.
If I knew that I would have to change the brackets, I would have preferred using the first set of detectors as they had more features. :wah:
I kinda understand how each manufacturer has product specific brackets. But why would the EXACT same model have a mounting bracket that is almost the same (so that you think you can just reuse it) but when it comes time to secure it, find out that it is not compatible?
If a model is different, then it is not the same model and should have a different model number!
I examined both of the mounting brackets and I really could not find any differences but when doing the final assembly, it was just different enough not to work. :damn: :damn:
Why???
So I ended up paying more for a model with less features and still ended up having to remove and replace every mounting bracket.
Jimbuna
10-03-21, 10:10 AM
I don't encounter those problems. I use double sided sticky pads to mount them on the ceiling but having said that, mine are battery operated.
https://i.postimg.cc/cC5vKLJR/smoke-alarm-01.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
Skybird
10-03-21, 11:23 AM
I use double sided sticky pads to mount them
Those sticky pad mounts last until they no longer last. And drop.
Platapus
10-03-21, 11:37 AM
I don't encounter those problems. I use double sided sticky pads to mount them on the ceiling but having said that, mine are battery operated.
Mine are AC powered with Battery back up.
I do have to confess that I had one smoke detector just hanging from the AC power connection for way too long. :oops:
Platapus
10-03-21, 11:47 AM
. I use double sided sticky pads to mount them on the ceiling
Have you considered using some industrial Velcro? Some of the ones you can order from industrial supply companies hold very firmly but will release when a screwdriver type tool is used to pry them apart while the adhesive ain't goin no where!
Fun fact about Velcro type products: Velcro grips harder when the materials are vibrated. This is different than many other fasteners. At least one US car manufacturer was using very special velcro type fasteners to attach bumper components as they found it better, cheaper, and more secure than more traditional fasteners.
(maybe I should put this in the Useless Facts thread. :O:)
Jimbuna
10-03-21, 12:02 PM
Those sticky pad mounts last until they no longer last. And drop.
My experience is that they give up one side at a time so as soon as you notice the first faulty one that is the ideal time to change them.
Have you considered using some industrial Velcro? Some of the ones you can order from industrial supply companies hold very firmly but will release when a screwdriver type tool is used to pry them apart while the adhesive ain't goin no where!
Fun fact about Velcro type products: Velcro grips harder when the materials are vibrated. This is different than many other fasteners. At least one US car manufacturer was using very special velcro type fasteners to attach bumper components as they found it better, cheaper, and more secure than more traditional fasteners.
(maybe I should put this in the Useless Facts thread. :O:)
Far too posh for me.
Jeff-Groves
10-03-21, 12:31 PM
The easy way to prevent the sticky tape smoke alarms from coming loose.
Get the round cover plates from a junction box and use screws to attach it.
Then mount the box with sticky tape to it. It will hold nearly forever!
To remove the alarm plate?
A thin wire like a piano wire will cut through the sticky tape. Then scrape with a razor knife if needed.
Now those of us in the Construction trades use a self made Hot knife to remove that tape.
I have to deal with 116 smoke detectors on a yearly basis, 2 things I've found, Use the sealed battery type (smoke detectors need to be changed out every 10 years due to sensor life, and tenants can't remove the battery). And use the plastic screw-in drywall anchors to mount them (most detectors have mounting plates with universal mounting holes to accommodate different anchor widths). so it becomes a simple matter of loosening the screws, replacing the mounting plate, and tightening the screws.
If you use double sided tape, use the 1" tape by 3m (not the double sided mounting squares) it's rated for 30 lbs per inch and will be good for years.
You can also use pure silicone, it's adhesive (on everything from glass to brick), stays flexible, and removal is easy when heated with a heat gun or hair dryer.
AVGWarhawk
10-05-21, 09:48 AM
Glad you got them. They work! Do these also detect CO? If so, great. CO detectors are a lifesaver.
Platapus
10-05-21, 03:54 PM
I also have dedicated CO detectors for the critical areas.
CO ain't COol.
Just don't put Co2 detectors on the ceiling. By the time that the heavier than air Co2 gets up to them you'll already be swimming in it.
Best place is near the top of the basement stairs.
... self made Hot knife to remove that tape.
Oh! Oh! Describe that process. :shucks:
Jeff-Groves
10-06-21, 03:44 PM
Here's something that is real close to what I have made.
https://www.amazon.com/HORUSDY-Cutter-Electric-Cutting-Machine/dp/B0921TY9H6/ref=pd_lpo_3?pd_rd_i=B0921TY9H6&psc=1
What I do is put a small groove in the top of the spreader bars so the wire is much closer to the top so there's almost no space left to scrape the tape.
Onkel Neal
10-07-21, 08:56 AM
Just don't put Co2 detectors on the ceiling. By the time that the heavier than air Co2 gets up to them you'll already be swimming in it.
Best place is near the top of the basement stairs.
Thanks, good point. :up:
Carbon monoxide is actually slightly lighter than air, so placing them on a ceiling should be ok.
Carbon monoxide is actually slightly lighter than air, so placing them on a ceiling should be ok.
Apparently I have believed a myth. I could have sworn that's what the destructions said last time I read them. :hmmm:
In any case i'd think the top of the basement stairs is a good spot because that's the likely source.
Platapus
10-07-21, 05:24 PM
While it is true that CO is lighter than normal room air, the difference is very very small.
For the science nerds CO has a molar mass of 28.0, and air has an average molar mass of 28.8.
From what I have read, the best location for a CO detector is close to the potential source. Since a lot of CO sources are warmer, the air currents caused by the heat source will cause the CO Air mix to rise.
But since CO mixes easily with room air and disperses pretty evenly, the placement of CO detectors is not as critical as smoke detectors.
The important thing is to have them and keep them in working order.
And not to toss them out the window because they won't shut up every time the wife burns the lasagna! :)
Platapus
10-08-21, 02:55 AM
How does my wife know that I am finished cooking dinner???? :D
The guys bursting in with fire helmets and axes might be a clue...
<O>
Yesterday I was installing a new ceiling fan in the dining room. As I removed the old fan, I was cursing whoever installed it. The idiot used two random, different screws (one of which was a wood screw) to mount the bracket to the electrical box. I said to my wife "Why didn't this moron just use the mounting screws that came with the fan?"
I go to put the new bracket up and I can't find the screws. I looked everywhere. I opened the instructions and they read: "Mount the bracket using the screws that came with the electrical box."
... So now my new fan is mounted with a wood screw. :hmph:
...and the next owner of the place will be heard to say, "Some idiot mounted this fan with a wood screw!!..."...
<O>
Jeff-Groves
10-10-21, 03:25 PM
The idiot used two random, different screws (one of which was a wood screw) to mount the bracket to the electrical box.
And that is exactly why my tool belt has every imaginable bit for my Impact Driver!
:nope:
Catfish
10-10-21, 03:40 PM
How does my wife know that I am finished cooking dinner???? :D
:har:
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