BajaNomad - How Many Nomads Have Smoke Detectors?

How Many Nomads Have Smoke Detectors?

DavidE - 2-19-2013 at 10:55 AM

Living in a wooden casita with an electrical system with a single 40 amp breaker makes me intensely nervous. Mexicans don't seem overly concerned with this issue. I had a hell of a time seeking out a sufficiently loud 120 volt detector with a nine volt backup battery.

The tienda Miramar has a few Kidde "FireX" detectors and I am seriously thinking about nailing one to the ceiling in the bedroom. They're priced at 60 pesos which ain't bad.

I know what would happen with a total short in my wooden structure but does any Nomad have personal experience with a bad short in a concrete casa? Burning wire insulation is bad enough but Mexicans use plastic tubing to house the wires and will that fill a room with dangerous fumes?

sancho - 2-19-2013 at 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by DavidE
Mexicans don't seem overly concerned with this issue

Goes without saying, that line can be applied to many
things in Mex that Gringos pay attention to, that don't raise concerns in Mex, safety is not of a high priority, have heard of tourists travelling with detectors
for Hotel rooms. there was a recent show about detectors
and how often they fail to detect smoke, I can't remember which one's they suggested,
that plastic conduit seems to be the regular
means of running wire

Timely topic

Mulegena - 2-19-2013 at 12:14 PM

Just two minutes ago I jotted down on my "high-priority must-get list":
- fire extinguishers (6)
- smoke alarms (3)

I shop on-line a lot for stuff not available locally. I have a shipper in San Diego who will receive my on-line purchases and bring 'em down here.

Home Depot will not send fire extinguishers to that San Diego zip code. Any idea how I can get 'em? Also, are the pre-filled cans good? What's a good brand for smoke alarms; they vary in price greatly?

willardguy - 2-19-2013 at 12:35 PM

spend the extra money and buy combination smoke/CO2 detectors. most professional alarm companies use honeywell devices. expect to pay 40-50 bucks a pop.
don't skimp here.

bufeo - 2-19-2013 at 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by willardguy
spend the extra money and buy combination smoke/CO2 detectors. ....

Dont you mean "CO" detectors: monoxide not dioxide?

We had several smoke/CO detectors scattered around our house at Bufeo for a while, but found that the batteries rarely lasted over the hot summer months. After a couple of years I removed them.

Allen R

[Edited on 2-19-2013 by bufeo]

Retireded - 2-19-2013 at 01:09 PM

Finding none when I moved into the casita I rent, I bought 2 first trip to Chula Vista and installed them when I returned. Both are battery only, but chirp when battery runs low to alert you to the need for replacement.
I wouldn't be without them here or anywhere.

willardguy - 2-19-2013 at 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bufeo

Quote:

Originally posted by willardguy
spend the extra money and buy combination smoke/CO2 detectors. ....

good eye! although we regularly install both CO and CO2 sensors you would want a CO detector in the casa. especially with all the propane devices.

DavidE - 2-19-2013 at 03:18 PM

When a detector beeps a battery to death I'm afraid I won't catch it. The things are supposed to be mounted up high, and the Kidde unit I looked at has a huge push-to-test button on the bottom, and the 9-volt backup battery can be changed without removing the detector from the ceiling. I like the idea of using a broom or mop handle to push the big button to test it.

Propane and butane are significantly heavier than air, so expecting a ceiling mounted detector to function correctly seems a little optimistic.

I think a better option is for me to purchase a CO detector and put it somewhere where there are a lot of gas valves to leak, like the kitchen.

24baja - 2-19-2013 at 05:24 PM

We have smoke/co2 detectors and fire extinguishers at our house in BOLA. Never leave ourselves at risk.

[Edited on 2-20-2013 by 24baja]

[Edited on 2-20-2013 by 24baja]

I doubt if Kapton insulated wires are sold in Mexico, but...

durrelllrobert - 2-19-2013 at 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DavidE

I know what would happen with a total short in my wooden structure but does any Nomad have personal experience with a bad short in a concrete casa? Burning wire insulation is bad enough but Mexicans use plastic tubing to house the wires and will that fill a room with dangerous fumes?

Definitely not good in concrete structures:

San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station Unit 1

On June 15, 1987 Southern California Edison Company advised the NRC of a
problem involving damaged Kapton insulation on containment electrical
penetration assemblies at San Onofre Unit 1. During electrical testing of
control rod drive equipment circuits to determine if previous cooling fan
malfunctions had caused any damage, unacceptably low insulation resistances
were found on 35 circuits. In one penetration assembly alone, 11 circuits
tested below one megohm and 11 others below 100 megohms. The licensee then
visually inspected the approximately 5000 penetration (passing through concrete) leads in the plant, and
discovered nicked insulation in 52 cables covering close to 200 circuits.
Most of the defects were outside containment; 15 nicked leads were inside
containment.

mtgoat666 - 2-19-2013 at 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DavidE
When a detector beeps a battery to death I'm afraid I won't catch it. The things are supposed to be mounted up high, and the Kidde unit I looked at has a huge push-to-test button on the bottom, and the 9-volt backup battery can be changed without removing the detector from the ceiling. I like the idea of using a broom or mop handle to push the big button to test it.

Propane and butane are significantly heavier than air, so expecting a ceiling mounted detector to function correctly seems a little optimistic.

I think a better option is for me to purchase a CO detector and put it somewhere where there are a lot of gas valves to leak, like the kitchen.

put the smoke detector up high, and CO detector can go at any elevation. i don't think smoke or CO detector will detect propane or butane leak prior to ignition! store your gas bottle outdoors. but gas is odorized so you will smell gas leaks before they are a problem. if concerned about gas leaks, there are LEL/ meters/alarms...

bajagrouper - 2-20-2013 at 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by DavidE
Living in a wooden casita with an electrical system with a single 40 amp breaker makes me intensely nervous. Mexicans don't seem overly concerned with this issue. I had a hell of a time seeking out a sufficiently loud 120 volt detector with a nine volt backup battery.

The tienda Miramar has a few Kidde "FireX" detectors and I am seriously thinking about nailing one to the ceiling in the bedroom. They're priced at 60 pesos which ain't bad.

I know what would happen with a total short in my wooden structure but does any Nomad have personal experience with a bad short in a concrete casa? Burning wire insulation is bad enough but Mexicans use plastic tubing to house the wires and will that fill a room with dangerous fumes?

Why not ask a fireman at your nearest fire house?

MitchMan - 2-20-2013 at 11:08 AM

FWIW, Had a fire chief tell me that, even if you live in a concrete block house, your internal furnishings can and will still burn ferociously and the flame will travel at the ceiling level quickly and certainly to other rooms at the ceiling level. Living in a cinder block house is no defense against a fire in the house. I didn't know that before he told me that.

Retireded - 2-20-2013 at 05:25 PM

At my last employment, I was responsible for purchasing for the facilities dept. of an agency with 9 high rise residential buildings. I tried several brands and they all worked well. I finally settled on the mid price range Kidde because they seemed to outlast the others by a wide margin. They were pretty inexpensive and available from most suppliers. We usually got them from Home Depot or HD supply (online). In the US, HD supply delivered next day if the order was placed by 3 pm.

No batteries needed

durrelllrobert - 2-21-2013 at 09:10 AM

Here's mine

sd - 2-21-2013 at 09:34 AM

Bob, I love the Jiffy Pop!

I often wonder what to bring to give away when I do a road trip. I will be packing some next trip.

Good idea to put one in each bedroom on or near the ceiling. Battery powered units cost as little as $7.00 US. Had a friend who had installed security bars on his windows without an emergency release. Smoke alarms went off (fully engulfed fire) and they barely made it out safely. He said the speed of the fire amazed him.

Stay safe!

DavidE - 2-21-2013 at 10:42 AM

The nomenclature on the ones I saw in the Miramar look pretty impressive. For 60 pesos ($4.80 and there ain't no steenking 8.5% tax!) I'm going to grab one. I just like the idea of an AC unit with a battery back up. Kidde makes fire extinguishers and professional equipment for USA fire departments. I would think their smoke detectors to also be acceptable.

Love the "Jeefy Pope"!

CortezBlue - 2-22-2013 at 07:24 AM

My casa is steel post and beam construction with metal 2x6 wall studs, but the stucco walls and roof start with marine rated OSB, so yes, we have smokies in the house. I had Co2 sensors, but they kept going off so I took them out!!!

Yust Yoking :lol:

[Edited on 2-28-2013 by CortezBlue]

ADCELAND - 2-28-2013 at 01:26 AM

Remember that one smoke detector cover about 35 mq and work with two wire only....RF detector it's too much expensive....

MitchMan - 2-28-2013 at 10:47 AM

Did some serious thinking as a result of this thread. I realized that since my house has bars on all the windows and only one door, the kitchen door, there is great risk.

One question one must ask is "how can a fire start?" The electric refrigerator or the chest freezer? The television and DVD player? The plugged in radio? Not the the gas stove as that doesn't have a gas pilot to light flames but a push button spark igniter instead...so that that couldn't cause a fire at night. And, the gas hot water heater is outside, so that's not a problem.

True, the house is made of cinder blocks and concrete, but the contents (furniture, drapes, couches and wooden table and chairs, beds, linens, and wooden cabinets can burn ferociously and the heat and smoke of the flames can and will travel quickly and silently from room to room at the ceiling level.

First line of defense has to be a reliable smoke alarm. Did a lot of research and found that there are two main technologies used in smoke detectors:
1)Photoelectric sensing types that are good at detecting smokey smoldering fires but not good at detecting flaming fast burining fires.
2)Ionization smoke detectors are good a detecting flaming fast burning fires but not good at detecting smokey smoldering fires.

Then there are hard wired smoke detectors wired into your electricity system and have a battery back up, or there are battery operated detectors that are powered only by batteries. All of these types are commonly priced between $5 USD to about $100 USD.

Problems with smoke detectors are in their common lack of quality control in the manufacturing producing many detectors put on market shelves that don't work by the time the consumer gets the device home. Many people complain of detectors not working out of he box or failing to work after only a couple of months. Many complain about the ultra senstivity and that the dam smoke detectors go off in the middle of the night with no existing fire. Or, smoke alarms are set off by innocuous things like steam from a shower or normal stove cooking setting those things off.

So, I opted to buy a smoke detector that is battery operated only and has dual sensor capability with both photoelectic and ionization detection...and...has a good review record. The one I got cost $24 USD from Lowe's. It's a "First Alert" brand, model # SA320CN. It's powered by two AA's. This one has a better review record than the former model that is powered by a 9 volt battery. The next one I considered was a dual sensor "Kidde" brand, model P i010 at a similar but lower price powered by a 9 volt battery from Walmart or Home Depot.

I am going to keep researching, but the next line of defense is to have the barred windows in the bedrooms modified to have a release from the inside of the bedroom to allow for quick releasing the bars and have them swing out and open to allow for escape to the outdoors from within the bedroom while providing optimum security from intruders when closed.

Been there 5 years and never gave the issue much thought until this thread.

[Edited on 2-28-2013 by MitchMan]

durrelllrobert - 2-28-2013 at 11:39 AM

Even though your house is cinderblock construction on a concrete slab it probably still has a wood framed roof and undersized or exposed wiring in the attic is a major cause and starting point of house fires which smoke detector wont help until it's too late. Make sure the attic is rodent proof and that the eave vent screens are fine enough to prevent sparks from nearby grass fires, etc. from entering. Also unattended food left cooking on the stove is a major cause of fire especially when grease is involved. My ex-wife left a pot of beans cooking while she went shopping and damn near burned the whole house down.

MitchMan - 2-28-2013 at 11:53 AM

Good point about the cooking problem. My baja house, probably like many others, has no stove ventilation going through the ceiling. This causes a fine film of grease to coat everything. I try to wipe down everything before I leave for th USA, but nothings perfect.

As one gets older, the short term memory starts to go and one of the first places that deficiency shows up is leaving burners going on the stove.

willardguy - 2-28-2013 at 12:12 PM

I would think electrical wiring would have to be a huge culprit, I don't understand how everything here hasn't burned to the ground!

EnsenadaDr - 2-28-2013 at 12:24 PM

Smoke detectors...would seem like CO (carbon monoxide) detectors would be more effective in saving lives south of the border.

[Edited on 2-28-2013 by EnsenadaDr]

grizzlyfsh95 - 2-28-2013 at 01:44 PM

The problem with wooden structure fire in Baja is that the smoke offends the termites, they stop holding hands, and the place falls down.

DavidE - 2-28-2013 at 03:11 PM

Burn the insulation off 30' of a pair of 12 gauge wires and the smoke would be enough to kill a sleeping person. When the plastic conduit goes up, then it would be megaton overkill. I guess I'm chicken.