All, I just discovered that all the fire alarms in our subdivision were supposed to be replaced in 2005...yes 2005. I replaced mine over the weekend.
I'm certain all the fire alarms installed in the Vistas of Encino homes are identical, and the homes were all built about the same time. To verify the replacement date of your alarms, open the battery compartment of each fire alarm and look at the orange sticker there. Mine stated to replace them in 2005!
For the past 2 weeks we've had intermittent alarms going off in the middle of the night, but we thought it was the batteries causing it. When your battery voltage drops to a preset level the detecter simply chirps once every few minutes as a warning. In our case the alarm would sound (not chirp)for about 30 seconds intermittently throughout the day.
After searching the web I found out that most detectors use a small, low grade, radioactive chip to detect smoke, and that chip loses it's effectiveness after 10 years. Ryland/Scott Felder must have had boxes of them because my home would only have been 7 years old in 2005.
Replacing them is fairly easy. I bought 6 of them from Home Depot for $14 a piece. Be sure to get the kind that are hard wired into the electric and connected together...not the stand alone battery only kind. You will have to replace the wiring harness (3 wires) because the new ones have a different plug type than the ones Ryland installed.
The web info said that even if your alarm wasn't sounding, like oours were, you have to replace them by the date indicated because they may not detect a fire. Don't put your family at risk. Replce them yourselves, or hire someone to do it for you.
If you need help please call me at 481-9122.
I'm certain all the fire alarms installed in the Vistas of Encino homes are identical, and the homes were all built about the same time. To verify the replacement date of your alarms, open the battery compartment of each fire alarm and look at the orange sticker there. Mine stated to replace them in 2005!
For the past 2 weeks we've had intermittent alarms going off in the middle of the night, but we thought it was the batteries causing it. When your battery voltage drops to a preset level the detecter simply chirps once every few minutes as a warning. In our case the alarm would sound (not chirp)for about 30 seconds intermittently throughout the day.
After searching the web I found out that most detectors use a small, low grade, radioactive chip to detect smoke, and that chip loses it's effectiveness after 10 years. Ryland/Scott Felder must have had boxes of them because my home would only have been 7 years old in 2005.
Replacing them is fairly easy. I bought 6 of them from Home Depot for $14 a piece. Be sure to get the kind that are hard wired into the electric and connected together...not the stand alone battery only kind. You will have to replace the wiring harness (3 wires) because the new ones have a different plug type than the ones Ryland installed.
The web info said that even if your alarm wasn't sounding, like oours were, you have to replace them by the date indicated because they may not detect a fire. Don't put your family at risk. Replce them yourselves, or hire someone to do it for you.
If you need help please call me at 481-9122.
