OWL
Every about five minutes a loud quick beep hurt my ears,I think I once heard that it might be the fire alarms low on battery can it be this? I heard it in many other houses too.like my Grampa's House and friend's houses.What can this be?It's driving me NUTS!
Answer READ EVERY WORD FIRST, ALL OF THEM, PLEASE!!!!
Well that's an easy one, I am assuming you are young since you reference Grandpa. Note the beep has to be from something electronic Possible sources: Burglar Alarm company backup battery to the main system is weak, the remotely located wireless window/door sensors have batteries that when dead make the Alarm console beep.
A smoke detector is likely. I have some that mount directly to the wall and some to a bracket that is mounted and you turn the "front" of the detector CCW or CW to remove from the bracket. You need to know if the smoke/fire alarm is a battery unit (CLUE: IF YOU CAN TAKE IT OFF WHERE ITS MOUNTED AND IF IT HAS NO WIRE INTO THE WALL/CEILING ITS BATTERY, NOW TURN IT OVER TO THE "WALL SIDE", MAYBE THERE IS A VISIBLE 9V BATTERY COMPARMENT SPOT RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU), if not it might be a open the cover unit, so, open the cover by looking, AND THEN LOOKING AGAIN, you might have to pry a "tab" or unscrew a screw before opening, when you see the 9v battery you will be half done, (if YOU DON'T ABSOLUTELY KNOW WHAT A 9V BATTERY LOOKS LIKE STOP SEE TEST BUTTON BELOW). PLEASE don't mess with the "120" volt smoke detector, call the company if it's the "beeper" [all non battery smoke detectors may not be "120" volt but they may be 12-24 volt AC or DC so they still might be dangerous] (I say that more for those who might nitpick me).
If it really beeps every five minutes it wont hurt to pull the 9volt battery and wait 7 minutes. TEST SECTION: If you can't wait, be brave, re-read above and extract the battery, put the 9v battery to your tongue, if it mildly tingles it's a dead battery, if it smarts put it back in and wait the "5" minutes. NOTE YOU CAN'T DIE FROM THIS EXCEPT MAYBE IF YOU HAVE A PACEMAKER OR BUILT-IN HEART DEFIBRILLATOR SO THOSE FOLKS DON'T "TONGUE" IT.
Or best of all, get a volt meter from an electronics pal. 9 volts minus 1.8=7.2 volts = battery no good (if the battery is low by 20% its dead, this even applies with 6 volt, 1.5volt etc.( -20% is my guide for alkaline batteries),
Also if you are afraid just press the TEST BUTTON, on the smoke detector, if it has one, buy a new one if it doesn't have a test button, its too old or the owner was too frugal. [IF IT WONT SOUND OFF UNDER TEST ITS DEAD, IF IT DOES SOUND THEN YOU CAN NOW KNOW IF ITS "YOUR BEEP"] Now identify if its a 9v battery by taking it gently off its mount or bracket mount also see above again. See the test section if you feel braver.
If you succeed in removal AND REPLACE THE 9V note that I put all my detectors on a wall AS CLOSE to the ceiling on a 3-4 inch bread twist tie or better "wire" to a screw or thumb tack [ yes it looks fine if you do it right] for easy removal of batteries and no loss of sensitivity. Generally smoke rises driven by the heat, so the closer to the ceiling the better.
(this wire mount idea is at your discretion, I'm sure some fire guy is gonna disagree but in my experience of an actual house fire in 1987 with the detectors mounted as such, they saved my sleeping wife and cat!)
Check for a carbon monoxide detector and again make sure its not "120" volt, press the test button. A UPS on your computer with a near dead battery makes beeps. A medical device for "Gramps" may be at fault. a cell phone or cordless home phone beeps when near dead. A microwave or new fridge with the door open can beep. An AC alarm clock can beep when its 9volt battery gets weak.. Get the common thread?
If after all that you can't isolate it, invite some other young folks over for sodas, [statistically better at hearing high pitched beeps] put the battery back in the smoke detector and have the young'uns stand at different parts around the seeming sound area to pinpoint the beep. Keep in mind that some beeps are so foxy that they are like a ventriloquist and "throw their voices" so move around like
musical chairs till every one agrees. Need I say more?? Good Luck! WHEW
So I am torn over whether or not to use a vent free propane heater?
Connie
So, I keep hearing such conflicting advice. I live in Texas, so obviously people down here are a little less careful as say people from up north (yes totally a generalization, but true nonetheless) and I keep hearing "We grew up on propane heaters, no big deal, just leave a window open." or "You get more CO2 sitting in rush hour traffic." or "What about all the people at restaurants who cook with propane or natural gas all day, they are not dead."
Uh. I have central heat and air, but this house is old, and 2 story, and the back part of my house and the main living area are so cold in the winter, that I decided to buy a vent free propane heater. Boy can the propane people sell you... "They are 99% efficient, clean burning, have an oxygen sensor cutoff, blah blah" but I get that it comes right down to you are breathing in the byproduct of burning fuel, however, I am wondering how bad it is. The firemen are telling me its safe, everyone I talk to says it is safe, but there is that little voice in my head that worries me about using propane to heat my home. There are NO PEOPLE in this area who will install a vented propane heater, and the hassle of installling a woodburning stove, and feeding it wood is just not an option for me. What is the safest way to use a vent free heater. We live in a house that if you sit still long enough you can see the drapes moving from the draft, so it is less than tight. Just an old historical type home that is too large to economically heat with central heat and air. What should I do. Of course my family is the most important thing in my decision, and I have CO2 alarms literally in every room, even the ones that are not heated with propane, and I am still nervous because of the horror stories you read on the internet.
Answer
Propane is safe if the combustion is complete. When you burn propane it turns into water and carbon dioxide (not monoxide). The same gas we exhale. Not actually toxic, but if it replaces enough of the oxygen then it can be dangerous. This would have to be a LOT. Remember inhaling helium? This is more dangerous. It is not toxic, but doing it enough can cause the body to not have enough oxygen.
C3H8 + 5 O2 â 3 CO2 + 4 H2O + heat
propane + oxygen â carbon dioxide + water
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propane
BUT incomplete propane combustion releases water, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and carbon. Carbon monoxide is toxic.
2 C3H8 + 7 O2 â 2 CO2 + 2 CO + 2 C + 8 H2O + heat
Propane + Oxygen â Carbon dioxide + Carbon monoxide + Carbon + Water
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propane
So complete combustion of propane is safe, carbon dioxide would not build up enough because of normal opening doors to go in and out of the house, air leaks in the house, etc...
How will you know that you have complete combustion? You would have to read the documentation of the heater. Like another poster stated, old heaters have that ceramic element. If these types turn orange than you have complete combustion. They still make heaters like this.
You could, if you feel safer, buy a carbon dioxide and monoxide detector.
(just a quick search of carbon monoxide at Amazon, they are cheap)
http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=495272
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=node%3D495272&field-keywords=c+arbon+monoxide&rh=n%3A228013%2Cn%3A!468240%2Cn%3A3180231%2Cn%3A486547011%2Cn%3A495272%2Ck%3Ac+arbon+monoxide&ajr=0
I suggest to get one that will plug in and run off of batteries. You never know when the power will fail, and it would be nice to have heat at night (remember some of those ice storms that snapped power lines, it was nice to have propane burners and oven, keep us warm)
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