HELP! How do I get my fire alarms to quit going off every time there is a thunder/lightning storm?
Question:We have changed all the batteries. It never happened in my other house (built in the same year as the one I am living in now). I don't know what to do but it wakes my toddlers up and then I have to deal with them. It also scares the poo out of my dogs.
Thanks for your help!
Answers:
In all my years being a electrician, I never heard of fire alarms going off, when theres a storm. Now I heard of security systems going off, thats really weird. Sounds like 1 of the smoke detectors is messing up and setting them all off, I would just replace all of them.
Call or email the company that makes it.
Maybe it's the fire alarms...maybe you have to buy some that aren't sensitive to storms..? Just guessing.
In my old house, we had the same problem. Our fire alarms would go off for the littlest of things. Most fire alarms have some sort of adjuster on them that determines the sensitvity of the alarm. I would try looking for one on your alarms and lowering it so it doesn't go off when there is a storm.
USA If the detectors are ONLY battery operated, ask the manufacturer. I don't know how lightning can affect only battery operated units.
If they are also hard-wired and inter-connected, I can think of two things to check: 1. Make sure the ground wires are all connected at each detector, each detector is grounded if required by the mfr., and that every metal box is grounded ( if they used metal boxes for the detectors). All ground wires in the circuit breaker panel must be terminated clean and tight.
2. Make sure your panel box is properly grounded. Your existing ground system is not carrying the lightning and other transient voltages to earth fast enough. Make sure that your electrical system is grounded as follows AS A MINIMUM: For a 200 amp service, there should be a minimum size 4 copper wire going to the metal water pipe, if you have a metal water pipe. It should connect to the pipe within 5 feet of where the pipe enters the house. The connection should be clean, not corroded, and tight. If there is a water meter, a size 4 copper wire should be installed to "jump" around the meter, to effectively ground the interior water piping. If the water pipe feeding the house is plastic, as from a well, do not worry about it. Beside the water pipe ground, there should be a minimum size 6 copper wire going outside to TWO - 8 foot long ground rods that are driven all the way into the earth. If they are already there, you will not be able to verify that they are 8 feet long; you will have to trust that they are. If you have only one ground rod, add a second, and drive it all the way in the ground a minimum of 6 feet away from the first one. Connect the two rods using size 6 copper. Use new clamps on each rod - do not put the new wire under the existing clamp on the existing ground rod. Make sure the connection of the existing ground wire is clean and tight.
The above is the minimum I recommend. If you want to go a bit further for peace of mind, install a lightning protection system on your house. Basically, it consists of small lightning rods on top of the house that are connected by wires to each other and to ground rods in the earth. The lightning is attracted to the rods, and flows to the earth without causing damage to the house systems.
An experienced licensed electrician can do the above work in a good safe manner that will provide good protection for you.
take the baterrys out or brake it off your wall !!!
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