Customer Reviews

Kidde PE9 Battery-Operated Photoelectric Sensor Smoke Alarm

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Amazon and Vendor;
The vendor that sells these types of items should list the factory marked "unit experation date" in there description. This unit was some 2 years old when I received it, which shortens the useable life to the purchaser. If a vendor does not list this date they are just not being completely honest with the customer! All smoke and carbon monoxide alarms have these dates clearly marked on them. Look for this date before you buy.
Roger M

I bought a photoelectric smoke detector (ie, no radioactive material) because I didn't want to worry about the disposal issue in 10 years when an ionizing model would need to be replaced. I bought the Kidde because it's thinner than the comparable First Alert one.
Having now done the installation, I'm regretting my choice. Check out the installation instructions: http://www.kiddeus.com/ManualPE9en.rsf
The strong visual lines of the smoke detector housing means you have to install it *exactly* parallel to the walls or else it will be visually distracting (ie blowing the reason I went with the Kidde in the first place). To make matters worse the Kidde mounting plate has 2 holes for the mounting holes -- as opposed to slots which allow some re-alignment after you've put holes in your ceiling.
Even though First Alerts comparable model hangs down from the ceiling more and has an odd bulbuous shape, I think its ease of installation and extra features (hush button, battery drawer) make it a better choice.

I bought this alarm a couple years back and it worked fine, until now. We were eating dinner and bam, the alarm goes off. No big deal, maybe we burned some toast. I take it off, and later that night it goes off again. I bring another detector to see if there really is smoke, nothing. Now it goes off no matter where I am, just seconds after I install the battery. The thing is worthless, and all it did was hang on the wall for 2 years. I would NOT buy this again.