Smoke Detector in Kitchen

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tom baker

First Chief Moderator
Staff member
My ceiling mount smoke detector (its a combo smoke CO2) goes off when using the oven at high temps, its about 10 feet away.
Is there a better type for a kitchen?
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
A smoke detector is usually contra-indicated in kitchens. Is your oven electric or gas?

Two popular smoke detector types are ionization and photo-cell; I suggest the latter.
 

Little Bill

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee NEC:2017
Occupation
Semi-Retired Electrician
I suggest removing it from the kitchen.
I used to tell people I thought it was a dinner bell going off, telling me supper was ready. Then my wife suggested I cook for myself!🙃

Seriously, a kitchen is not a place for a smoke detector.
 

hbiss

EC, Westchester, New York NEC: 2014
Location
Hawthorne, New York NEC: 2014
Occupation
EC

Another stupid idea. At what point does cooking food become burning food and will the detector be able to tell the difference by the "smoke signature"? (Shades of AFCIs.)

How about requiring adequate ventilation with make-up air along with prudent use of the detectors we already have? A big sore point with me is the use of those non-venting charcoal filter hoods that are usually built into microwaves. They should be illegal for use with gas appliances and discouraged with electric.

Why is it such a big deal to make sure a gas fired water heater is properly vented outside but nobody cares about a gas range that uses just as many BTUs? And yes, people have died from the CO that a range generated.

Keep up this air-tight home nonsense (around here they require a blower door test for the C of O) and more people are going to die or get sick.

-Hal
 

tom baker

First Chief Moderator
Staff member
Its in the dining room which is open to the kitchen, we have a vented hood, gas oven. And I agree with comments on venting of ovens. Using the vent hood without make up air is not efficient.
 

hbiss

EC, Westchester, New York NEC: 2014
Location
Hawthorne, New York NEC: 2014
Occupation
EC
Which problem?
Smoke detection being set off or negative pressure?

Both really. Smokes not being set off because of negative pressure.

We always knew when the broiled pork chops were done in our last home. The closest SDs were in adjacent rooms and that house was not tight. Downright drafty.

Drafty is only half of it. That's good because it provides the return air. You also need a blower to exhaust the air from over the range and take the smoke with it.

-Hal
 

mopowr steve

Senior Member
Location
NW Ohio
Occupation
Electrical contractor
Most of the commercial hood systems (type1) have make-up air supply blower at or near the same cfm of the exhaust blower. So there is little to no negative pressure. Unless it’s just a type 2 hood system just for moisture/fumes/odor in which case there should be no cooking that produces smoke or grease laden vapor as these typically smaller and do not have a make-up air blower.
 

Eddie702

Licensed Electrician
Location
Western Massachusetts
Occupation
Electrician

Another stupid idea. At what point does cooking food become burning food and will the detector be able to tell the difference by the "smoke signature"? (Shades of AFCIs.)

How about requiring adequate ventilation with make-up air along with prudent use of the detectors we already have? A big sore point with me is the use of those non-venting charcoal filter hoods that are usually built into microwaves. They should be illegal for use with gas appliances and discouraged with electric.

Why is it such a big deal to make sure a gas fired water heater is properly vented outside but nobody cares about a gas range that uses just as many BTUs? And yes, people have died from the CO that a range generated.

Keep up this air-tight home nonsense (around here they require a blower door test for the C of O) and more people are going to die or get sick.

-Hal
That is more that true especially if the gas burner on the range is heating a large pot ful of ice cold spaghetti water. makes a lot of C0
 

romex jockey

Senior Member
Location
Vermont
Occupation
electrician

Another stupid idea. At what point does cooking food become burning food and will the detector be able to tell the difference by the "smoke signature"? (Shades of AFCIs.)

-Hal

not so stupid Hal

I pulled duty shifts , 7 nights from 6-6 every 3rd week when i was a FF, the sole reason i never slept a solid night through was due to the repetitive penchant for the assisted living folks falling asleep while cooking (bad enough they do it driving)

i think i can speak for FF's worldwide in that we'd all hail any burning food signature debut as just short of the 2nd coming.....

~RJ~
 

hbiss

EC, Westchester, New York NEC: 2014
Location
Hawthorne, New York NEC: 2014
Occupation
EC
not so stupid Hal

I pulled duty shifts , 7 nights from 6-6 every 3rd week when i was a FF, the sole reason i never slept a solid night through was due to the repetitive penchant for the assisted living folks falling asleep while cooking (bad enough they do it driving)

i think i can speak for FF's worldwide in that we'd all hail any burning food signature debut as just short of the 2nd coming.....

~RJ~

If the food was burning the detector was doing its job, no? What good would a detector that didn't alarm until the food was actually burning do in that instance? If granny fell asleep it won't be long until it's burning. This just woke you up and hopefully you arrived before it became a real fire. So that's a good thing.

Also, isn't like granny is going to get a ladder and yank the detector off the ceiling because it keeps going off when she makes toast. Since this is an assisted living facility, I have to believe it's connected to a fire system which would go into trouble if she did that.

-Hal
 

romex jockey

Senior Member
Location
Vermont
Occupation
electrician
QUOTE="hbiss, post: 2558738, member: 62075"]
If the food was burning the detector was doing its job, no? What good would a detector that didn't alarm until the food was actually burning do in that instance? If granny fell asleep it won't be long until it's burning. This just woke you up and hopefully you arrived before it became a real fire. So that's a good thing.

My point was a 'good thing' would be to have FF's notified of what they're racing towards Hal

Also, isn't like granny is going to get a ladder and yank the detector off the ceiling because it keeps going off when she makes toast. Since this is an assisted living facility, I have to believe it's connected to a fire system which would go into trouble if she did that.

-Hal

I've seen a few whacked off ceilings , and in one case beaten to smithereens by an old duffer , i guess he was less than thrilled with the battery back up feature....


but i digress, there are many 'nuisance alarms' that occur , which would be a godsend to somehow discern

~RJ~[/QUOTE]
 
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