Getting my smoke alarms under control

[scotsman]

OK so I have a typical belt and suspenders fire set-up that is I suspect driven by code.
 
4 120V Firex FCAD ionization smoke alarms, interconnected & unmonitored
 
4 System Sensor 4W-B photoelectric smoke alarms, monitored, and connected to 2 heat alarms in the garage and plant room.
 

 
I am updating my alarm to an ELK M1 (currently and NX-8).  Here's what happens every time.
 
1) The ionisation alarm goes off with cooking.
2) My wife gets in a panic and goes to the alarm keypad to shut it off
3) Alarm keypad doesn't cancel the alarm as it is connected to the second low voltage photoelectric alarms only - in fact she usually sets the alarm by accident when she plugs her code in.
4) Baby wakes up screaming
5) She panics again thinking that the fire brigade is coming
6) She madly fans the alarm while calling me on the phone
 
This is a very human situation that I'd like to improve with the technology I have at my finger tips without sacrificing safety.
 
1) I'd like to be able to silence the alarms at the keypad - they are high up and hard to reach the silence button with a pole.
2) I'd like for all smoke alarms to report to my HA system so I can be alerted and to silence them remotely if needed.
 
I know how to do these things with the elk + my HA system, but the unmonitored 120V smokes are the problem here.  I have read the debates about people switching out their 120V smokes with the photoelectric GE350CX, but the advantage I have in my set-up I suppose is having dual photoelectric and ionisation alarms together for greater safety/redundancy.
 
- disconnect the 120V smokes altogether, but keep them for code purposes?
- replace them with monitored 120V photoelectric smokes? (if these even exist?)
- do nothing and educate my wife
 
I kind of hate the sensitivity of the Firex FCAD ionization alarms - they seem to produce a lot more false alarms vs. the System Sensor 4W-B's.  They often go off in the spring at times of high humidity here in Texas too.
 
I'd love to get a better designed set-up that was more human-friendly.

 

[Del91574]

Without getting into large sweeping discussions, the easiest to implement is # 3.
 
You're dealing with sub-$20 120VAC builder units, so performance is what it is. You can swap, but ionization and occupied residential spaces always equal a false alarm issue IMHO.

 

[scotsman]

Thanks for the reply, and yes I don't wish to open up the debate on monitored 120V smoke alarms.
 
But are ionization alarms even worth it in this situation? Maybe I should just swap them out with better photoelectric 120V smokes that don't false alarm on humid days?
 
Kind of a mixed up situation really.

 

[Del91574]

I haven't experienced falses with ion detectors based on humidity, but if the units are close to 10 years old, then you should replace them anyways, otherwise it might be detectors that are failing. Changing technology may or may not be a worthwhile consideration, I don't know all the details.
 
I'm not going to say get rid of them or replace X with Y, there's too many variables involved, but it may be as simple as swapping the detectors 1:1 with new units and not changing technology type.

 

[ano]

The ionisation alarm goes off with cooking.

 
Hmmm, is it near the kitchen? That isn't code.  If they are installed correctly, and they false often, I'd replace them with the same brand. They are cheap enough.  Or you could just send your wife for cooking lessons. :unsure:

 

[scotsman]

Yes there is one in the kitchen.  It's a big room, and they are 6 years old. They false on oven smoke, and a few times a year when the humidity goes up.  It's usually pretty dry here in TX...

 

[ano]

NFPA 72 (National Fire Code) Chapter 11
Section 11.8.3
 
"The installation of Smoke Alarms in kitchens, unfinished attics, or
garages is not normally recommended, as these locations occasionally
experience conditions that can result in improper operation."
 
A smoke alarm generally should not be installed in a kitchen. You can install a heat alarm there if you like, and typically a photoelectric smoke alarm is O.K..  You can install ionization type smoke alarms outside the kitchen. I have them in rooms of both sides of our kitchen and never have had a false alarm. 
 
Most ionization smoke alarms I have seen are rated to work from 10% - 95% RH.  There are also ionization smoke alarms that have a "hush" feature if you have to have them in the kitchen. 

 

[Del91574]

Ion smokes should not be installed near where any burning happens, cooking or otherwise because they detect the products of combustion (per se). You can swap the detector in the kitchen area for a different technology and see if that helps.