Tim_Lou Posted November 21, 2004 Report Share Posted November 21, 2004 believe it or not, smoke detecter uses a radioactive element to detect smoke. (dont mess with it, its radioactive)it uses americium-241 which emits alpha particles that ionized the air and the air particles become positively charged, the charged particles go to the negatively charged plate and the electrons go to the positively charged plate inside the detecter, which creates a electric current. when smokes come in, it disturbs and reduces the current by attaching itself to the ionized ions. the detecter records a reduction in electrical current thus an alert is sounded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aki Posted November 21, 2004 Report Share Posted November 21, 2004 and here's a little more info:http://home.howstuffworks.com/smoke.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindagarrette Posted November 21, 2004 Report Share Posted November 21, 2004 That's a great web site! I've had it in my favorites list for years. Last week's had an article on how Viagra works that was very informative. I sent it to my ex-boyfriend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tormod Posted November 21, 2004 Report Share Posted November 21, 2004 Originally posted by: lindagarrette I sent it to my ex-boyfriend. LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim_Lou Posted November 21, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2004 didnt mention Photoelectric Detectors... : Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexander Posted November 22, 2004 Report Share Posted November 22, 2004 Originally posted by: lindagarrette I sent it to my ex-boyfriend. LOL!Seconded. I also think that howstuffworks a great website, whenever i dont know how something works, i go there first (BTW there is a very interesting thing in there on plasma TVs) Back to topic:It's definately interesting how smoke detector works (especially the fact that they usee radioactive materials), but i think the smoke detectors in my house also have brains and think; they always go off when it smells nice, and when food is almost ready and you are really frustrated and trying to get it just right. For example last week I was cooking dinner (BBQ pork chops, potatoes, green beans, polenta, stir fried shrimp with rice and vegies, and chicken cordon), so as you can imagine it smelled really good in the kitchen, and my smoke alarm went off, in a minute and a half of frustration of trying to get the battery out of the smoke detector food got a little burned (rice especially). And thats not an isolated incident, quiet many times when it smells really good, my smoke alarm goes off, and i have to scramble to turn it off again and wait till it doesnt smell as nice to put the battery back it, any suggestions of how to deal with it Tim, and taking the battery out for good is out, gotta have it on (landlord policy), and moving the detector doesnt help either, it smells nice everywhere unless i move it 2-3 rooms away, but what good is it there...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freethinker Posted November 22, 2004 Report Share Posted November 22, 2004 Does the article explain how well they work with dead batteries? That best describes mine! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexander Posted November 22, 2004 Report Share Posted November 22, 2004 That could be it! Hey freethinker how long did your smoke detectors batteries last? didnt mention Photoelectric Detectors... : Yeah it did (maybe not the article itself but there's info on photoelectric detectors there)! here's the link: http://home.howstuffworks.com/smoke1.htm]http://home.howstuffworks.com/smoke1.htm"]http://home.howstuffworks.com/smoke1.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freethinker Posted November 22, 2004 Report Share Posted November 22, 2004 Originally posted by: lindagarretteThat's a great web site! I've had it in my favorites list for years. Last week's had an article on how Viagra works that was very informative. I sent it to my ex-boyfriend.Did it get a rise out of him? :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freethinker Posted November 22, 2004 Report Share Posted November 22, 2004 Originally posted by: alexanderThat could be it! Hey freethinker how long did your smoke detectors batteries last?Don't know yet, they're still in there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim_Lou Posted November 22, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2004 well, my smoke detecter never sounds a noise.its been 2 years... i guess the batteries have been down for a long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexander Posted November 23, 2004 Report Share Posted November 23, 2004 maybe i should connect my battery to an incandescent light-emmiting heterostructure (a light bulb), and drain it over knight so my smoke detector wont be as smoke detecting as it's been for a while... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aki Posted November 24, 2004 Report Share Posted November 24, 2004 Originally posted by: alexandermaybe i should connect my battery to an incandescent light-emmiting heterostructure (a light bulb), and drain it over knight so my smoke detector wont be as smoke detecting as it's been for a while... you've been doing a lot of smoking? (jk) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexander Posted November 29, 2004 Report Share Posted November 29, 2004 you've been doing a lot of smoking? (jk)Yeah, well you know, you gotta annoy your neighbors somehow right? For context of my quote:...but i think the smoke detectors in my house also have brains and think; they always go off when it smells nice, and when food is almost ready and you are really frustrated and trying to get it just right. For example last week I was cooking dinner (BBQ pork chops, potatoes, green beans, polenta, stir fried shrimp with rice and vegies, and chicken cordon), so as you can imagine it smelled really good in the kitchen, and my smoke alarm went off, in a minute and a half of frustration of trying to get the battery out of the smoke detector food got a little burned (rice especially). And thats not an isolated incident, quiet many times when it smells really good, my smoke alarm goes off, and i have to scramble to turn it off again and wait till it doesnt smell as nice to put the battery back it, any suggestions of how to deal with it Tim... Oh, and yes friends were coming over, and yes i dint know what they wanted to eat so i did a bit of everything to be on the safe side... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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