Thoughts on remote controlled switch?

[marklein]

A freind has tasked me with creating a wireless remote control for her smoke detector. Basically, it goes off when ever she cooks and she wants a way to temporarily disable it when cooking. Since it's on a tall ceiling it is akward to pull the battery every day to cook. Not to mention that I like a project. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

My thoughts: Since it runs on a 9v, power consumption is an issue. I'm assuming that an IR reciever would be the lowest power consumer? I figure I'll use an IR remote to trigger a 1 hour delay (555 timer) after which the detector automatically comes back on so she can't forget to re-arm it.

What do you think? Better ideas?

THX

 

[Saaby]

Or she could just replace it with one of the ones that you can silence by using a flashlight or IR remote.

 

[B@rt]

I think Saaby has it right. Not a bad idea for $32.99 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

SmartHome smoke detector

 

[Lurker]

Yeah, I wouldn't modify a life saving device. Consider your liability if something goes wrong.

 

[Saaby]

I think they even sell them at Wal-Mart these days.

 

[marklein]

Those are nice, but it's not going to happen. Any ideas about the project I described? Specifically anyone with IR experience would be appreciated as I've never tackled that before.

 

[Saaby]

May I be so rood as to inquire as to why not?

You should replace your detectors every 10 years anyway. CO detectors too...they might save your life, they did mine. My past eperience has been that it'll be cheaper in the long run to spend $20 for the smoke detector that already does what you want than to try and rig one to do what you want.

 

[MrAl]

Hello there,

I had similar thoughts once and dismissed them due to
safety reasons also. If something in the wiring goes
wrong and a fire burns up her possessions,or worse, someone
gets hurt, you'll never forgive yourself.

There's a whole lot of saftey issues to think about when
dealing with fire alarms, so it's best to buy one.

Another solution that sometimes works is to relocate
the device itself to a place where it's not directly
over a cooking device yet still within the same area
so you dont loose any protection.

A small fan helps sometimes too, pulling the cooking
smoke out of the room or pulling some fresh air in.

In any case, good luck with it!

Take care for now,
Al

 

[marklein]

She rents an apartment. By law around here the landlord has to provide working smoke detectors. As long as it makes noise when there is smoke that is working enough to satisfy the landlord and the law so therefor they aren't going to spend any money on it. She is unemployed and $30 can be a week's worth of food. I'll be unemployed soon too. Basically, any money spent isn't going to "luxury" items like remote controlled smoke detectors. I do however have access to a lot of electronics that I've collected over the years.

Since this thread isn't going anywhere I've employed a different solution. We took down the smoke detector and I stepped on it. Now they have to replace it with a new one anyway.

Thanks for your advise.

 

[carbonsparky]

I like that remote controlled smoke detector. I accidently ripped mine off the ceiling trying to get to shut up after a kitchen mishap.
It even has the silence button. It seemed to have thought that with the amount of smoke I had there must have been a fire and refused to respond to the button.

 

[Saaby]

[ QUOTE ]
marklein said:
Since this thread isn't going anywhere I've employed a different solution. We took down the smoke detector and I stepped on it. Now they have to replace it with a new one anyway.

Thanks for your advise.

[/ QUOTE ]

That works!