Expert: Joseph Retzer, C.E.T. - 11/26/2002

Question
My smoke alarm seems too sensitive.  It goes off several times a week when we take showers, often even when the bathroom fan is on, and the bathroom door is closed.  Can I do anything to make it less sensitive?  Or could I buy a smoke alrm that is less sensitive?

Answer
Hello Jenni,

This is a fairly common problem in homes and apartments.

First I have to ask a few questions.

1.) How far is the detector from the bathroom?
   a.) Is it closer than 3 feet?  Try moving it away from the door.
   b.) If it is more than 3 feet, how old is the detector?  If it is more than 8 years old, replace the detector.  There should be a little sticker on the back with the date.

2.) Are these battery operated smoke detectors, or 120 Volt (house powered) detectors?
   a.) More than likely there is no sensitivity adjustment on the detector.

3.) Are the detectors connected to an alarm panel?

One easy, but a little more expensive, solution is to replace the ion smoke detector with a photo smoke detector.

    The ion smoke detector is the most common detector found in the home.  It is the most sensitive, giving you the fastest alarm notification.  Best for smoldering fires.

    The photo smoke detector is a very stable detector, but requires a more "visual type" of smoke.

Jenni, I hope this helps.  You can e-mail me the answeres to the above questions at: JRetzer@DavisUlmer.com

I can give you a little more in depth answer / trouble shooting advice after I get the answers.

Good Luck,
Joseph P. Retzer C.E.T
NICET 99651