False fire alarm: what can cause it?

[Wavebourn]

I woke up due to false alarm. A first, started some remote (presumably, in my office) device, then few seconds later the device in bedroom started beeping.
No smell, no dust, nothing. Just a warm and a little bit humid Californian night...

Any ideas?

 

[rrrremus]

Humidity plays a very important role in the triggering of false alarms.
If water vapors enter the detection chamber, they will refract the IR light and cause the photodiode to trigger an alarm.
It is best to keep the smoke detectors away from sources of heat or cold.

Pay attention to dust also, as it will have the exact same effect.

 

[SY]

"Humid" is a relative term. In California, that would correspond to a bone dry night in Louisiana.

I suspect poltergeists.

 

[Wavebourn]

I suspect poltergeists.

Never registered in out house before.

If I change all batteries today and blow the dust from them, will it be considered a clean experiment?

Also, could some EMI trigger them?

 

[wakibaki]

Might be a false fire.

w

 

[SY]

It's a communist plot!

Our alarms start false triggering when the batteries begin to decline, so that could well be the answer.

 

[star882]

The detector might have aged enough that it triggers on its own. Just make sure the new one is compatible with the system when you replace it.

On a side note, the radioactive elements in old smoke detectors make great random number generators.

 

[Wavebourn]

It's a communist plot!

I knew they will find me some day!

Nope, let it be better Poltergeist!

I will replace the batteries however, but why it is so sudden and rare if they are already semi-deal? And why when we are asleep?!

On a side note, the radioactive elements in old smoke detectors make great random number generators.

Ah-hah! And I knew from that lection that concentrated thoughts affect that damn random generators!

 

[7n7is]

Did you check to see if there was any dust in the detector part? How about spiders, bed bugs, silver finches (fishes?), etc.

 

[sandyK]

Humidity plays a very important role in the triggering of false alarms.
If water vapors enter the detection chamber, they will refract the IR light and cause the photodiode to trigger an alarm.
It is best to keep the smoke detectors away from sources of heat or cold.

Pay attention to dust also, as it will have the exact same effect.

I have had a smoke detector in the hallway trigger early in the morning , and DEFINITELY due to my daughter in law having a very steamy shower after studying late.The bathroom was not very far away from the ceiling mounted hallway detector.
SandyK

 

[pheonix358]

Insects cause a great deal of false triggering. OT Cockroaches also eat foam surrounds!

Terry

 

[Wavebourn]

Insects cause a great deal of false triggering. OT Cockroaches also eat foam surrounds!

Also, mammoths could do that, but they did not survive last Ice Age...

 

[Cena123]

* Fire alarm control panel: This component, the hub of the system, monitors inputs and system integrity, controls outputs and relays information.

* Primary Power supply: Commonly the non-switched 120 or 240 Volt Alternating Current source supplied from a commercial power utility. In non-residential applications, a branch circuit is dedicated to the fire alarm system and its constituents.