Shop Smoke Alarms

[Larry Frank]

Rather than hijack the thread on CT22 fire, I will start a new thread.

How many have a smoke detector in their shop and how many false alarms have you had from dust. I have a heat detector in my shop connected to the monitored security system. I have also a cheap smoke alarm which has not gone off. I hesitate to add a smoke alarm connected to the house system because I worry about getting calls on false alarms.

My guess is that the better your dust collection, the less chance of a dust caused smoke alarm. Maybe, I will get one that is not o the monitored system but will let me know if it is going off. The shop is at one end of the house and bedroom at the other.

[Kevin Bourque]

The smoke alarms get clogged up real fast IMO. I'm going with a heat alarm next time.

[Jim Becker]

Kevin is correct, rather than a smoke alarm, a heat sensor is the better choice for a shop and certain other areas.

[Don Morris]

I don't have a professional shop, but in my small basement shop, I have a single smoke detector off to one end away from "most" of the worst dust producing machinery. I looked for the kind that has an easy to push "silence" button along with the "test" button. So far, I haven't had any problems. Then again, it's not a production shop, but I seem to fill the bag on my 1100 CFM Jet dust collection system often enough.

[Keith Hankins]

I have a smoke detector no issues. I will also add that I have a good DC, and an air filtration system. If that alarms going off, it should also have your internal alarm going off your lungs screaming for help. COPD is not cool.

[Larry Frank]

I agree that a heat alarm is great and I have one in my shop. I also think that a smoke alarm will give earlier notice of a fire. I am going to look at putting something in my shop that will also alarm upstairs.

[Phil Thien]

I agree that a heat alarm is great and I have one in my shop. I also think that a smoke alarm will give earlier notice of a fire. I am going to look at putting something in my shop that will also alarm upstairs.

Are there some specifications that would indicate how much sooner a smoke detector would work? I'd want to catch a problem as early as possible.

And can I clean a smoke detector with a blast of compressed air w/o risking damaging the thing?

[John TenEyck]

The home security company that did my house would not put a smoke detector in my shop because of false alarms, only a heat detector. So I installed a separate battery powered one and it was there for 20+ years, and it went off regularly whenever I would burn something on the TS or router, or whatever. I never did anything other than blow it off with a puff of my own breath when I changed the battery. I now have a 10 year one where you don't ever change the battery. The instructions point out that you should clean it regularly, though I can't quite remember how at the moment which means I need to go read it and do it.

John

[Lee Schierer]

I've had a smoke detector in my shop for at least 20 years. I have yet to have a false alarm. It is an ionization type. It will go off if I get even a little burning on a rip cut or with a router. It is mounted on a side wall about 12 feet from the table saw.

If you are clogging your smoke detector with dust, it sounds like you need to invest in better dust collection and/or an air filter.

[Morey St. Denis]

There exists two major technologies for electrical smoke detection. The most economical usually employ a mildly radioactive source and the ionization principal, while others utilize an infrared diode emitter & photoelectric sensor. The type that offers fewer false alarms from minute particles suspended in air (like household kitchens) implements bulk photoelectric detection.