Resetting Fire Sensors

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Resetting Fire Sensors

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In most cases a fire alarm will not reset until the cause of the fire has been resolved.

Some alarm systems will have a command to reset a smoke detector (* 7 2 for a DSC) If the cause of the alarm has not been cleared, it will send another fire alarm.

Some causes for false fire alarms can be Steam, dust, fumes, or even traces of smoke from cooking. Some simple things can be done to clear out or clean a smoke detector depending on what is in it.

For smoke, try a hair dryer or waving a towel, obviously with the windows open and exhaust fans on.

For dust, try a vacuum, or a can of compressed air to clean it out.

There is not much that can be done for steam, other than to try to air it out.

 

Some ideas to prevent further false alarms could be things like this:

Have them schedule a service call to have smoke detectors moved away from problem areas, like right in front of a bathroom door.

Try taping a plastic bag over the smoke detector while construction is going on, This is only advisable for a short amount of time, and only in areas that are directly affected by the dust or smoke from the work. Other smoke detectors in other areas should still be active in case of a real fire.