fire alarm / smoke detector / heat sensor
swallace84
| Posted in General Discussion on
https://www.finewoodworking.com/2010/02/02/fire-safety-in-the-shop
I see the above link, but I wonder if there are any updates now that it is 11 years old? I’d really like a fire alarm / smoke detector / heat sensor that I can put in my 2 car garage. That’s where I do woodworking and I also have a cnc machine that is not in an enclosure. I’d like some type of alarm that won’t be triggered by sawdust. Thanks for any tips.
Replies
Check with your local fire department as to what is code. If you are going to do it, do it right. Codes have changed a lot over the years.
Around here, new detectors are supposed to now be hardwired, interconnected, with a ten year sealed battery backup. And photoelectric, not ionization. And a hush feature, to cope with a nuisance trip.
I've got about 11 interconnected smokes in my house.
One issue with this is that is exceedingly difficult to determine which unit actually sensed the smoke.
Based upon my experience I would NEVER put one of these units in the shop. It doesn't matter much what tech you use, a smoke detector that gets exposed to stuff like drywall dust, construction dust or fine sawdust is prone to false alarms.
Here is a good article: https://home-wizard.com/article/smoke-detector-cleaning
My shop does have fire sprinklers though as they are activated by heat, not any sort of particulates.
Installed the Simply Safe model in my shop a few years ago and no issues. The same unit in the garage activated when it sensed particulates from spray painting -- even with the garage door open.
When these unit activate, it goes directly to the fire department. So even if you declare a false-alarm when the monitoring center calls, you will get the FD showing up curbside to make sure all is ok.
Pretty much all smoke detectors will be triggered by workshop dust so you probably should use a heat detector there.
You may have specific legal requirements where you live, so as others have said - keep to the code.
get a fucking sense of smell dumbass
Moderator, please???!!!
I recently learned that smoke detectors are for life safety and heat detectors are for property protection. My fire inspector informs me that smoke detectors are for buildings where people sleep, and that most commercial spaces do not have them. Check with local authorities as others have suggested, but logic sort of dictates that a stand-alone alarm (not networked to the house) will only work if you are in the shop or can hear it from the house. And yes, a heat alarm is a much more practical solution for a dusty environment. But make sure your insurance carrier is OK with your plan. I have found them to be much more unreasonable than the fire department.
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