Re: Smoke detectors for the elderly

[G. Morgan <usenet_abuse@xxxxxxxxx>]

<x-posted to alt.security.alarms>

On Sat, 3 Oct 2009 11:27:35 -0400, "Robert Green" <robert_green1963@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

>I was at an elderly friend's house the other day when the smoke alarm went
>off.  It was quite loud and I reacted instantly to the noise.  My friend, a
>former Army marksman in his 70's, who's suffering from profound high
>frequency hearing loss, heard nothing!!!
>
>Then I started looking around for alarms that used lower frequency sounders
>but the only thing I could find were specially converted smoke detectors
>that cost $300!!!!
>
>I'm wondering why COTS alarms operate at such a high sound frequency,
>especially when it's well known that older adults lose their high frequency
>hearing first.  I have been thinking of just unsoldering the Sonalert
>sounders in low priced alarms and replacing them with lower frequency
>sounders, but that could compromise the detector's ability to sense smoke if
>the replacement sounder has sufficiently different electrical
>characteristics.
>
>Does anyone know of a *reasonably* priced smoke detector whose sounder is
>audible to people with high frequency hearing loss?  I'd like to buy a
>couple of such detectors for him, but the price on the only unit I've found
>would bring the bill to over $1200 for four detectors, and that's just
>unreasonable.  I know what goes into making a smoke detector and 10x the
>cost of the parts still wouldn't bring the price that high.
>
>The idea that smokes use sounders that can't be heard by a lot of elderly
>people seems pretty unreasonable to me as well.
>
>Surely someone out there makes a smoke detector or combo smoke/CO detector
>(even better) that makes a sound people with typical hearing loss could hear
>a little better.
>
>BTW, we can skip flashing light smoke detectors.  BT, DT, GTS! He's got a
>phone ringer/flasher that he never hears or sees.  The unit's flasher can't
>really be seen in daytime easily and the electronic ringer again uses a tone
>in the 5000Hz and above range and is inaudible to him.  FWIW, based on some
>simple tests I did with CoolEdit, a PC program that allows you to create any
>audible tone, he can hear most stuff below 4000Hz.  Yes he has a hearing aid
>but no, he does not sleep with it in.
>
>Thanks in advance for your help.


Robert,

That issue has been addressed by the NFPA.  See here:
http://www.hearinglossweb.com/tech/alrt/smoke/code.htm

Maybe someone in ASA can get you a deal on some units.