I am stripping paint off the woodwork on my stairs using a heat gun, however the fumes generated by the gun are sufficient to set off the smoke detector at the top of the stairs after only a minute or two of work. So before I start working I pop the battery out to keep the detector from going off while I work. The hard part is remembering to put it back in.

I propose that a small retractable cord with a plastic sheath for the battery be built into the detector or available as a retrofit. The battery slips into the sheath and can be installed as normal. The spooled cord has a very light spring loading such that with the battery in the sheath it can not retract. Now if the battery needs to be removed it can be left hanging on the cord at head height in the middle of the hallway so that you will not forget to put it back in.
-- jhomrighaus, Apr 03 2007

I have the same problem during particularly aggressive cooking. How about a "snooze button" which de- activates the alarm for, say, two hours? Then you wouldn't be dependent on someone to reactivate it.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Apr 03 2007


that approach didn't seem half baked enough.
-- jhomrighaus, Apr 03 2007


All my smoke alarms have 'hush' buttons. It silences the alarm for 15 minutes, save for periodic chirps to indicate that it is in hush mode. A bit like those alarms cars have to tell you the door's open. I know the door's open; I don't intend to leave through the window.
-- Texticle, Apr 04 2007



random, halfbakery