Customer Reviews

SMOKE ALARM SELF-CHARGING (FREE SHIPPING SPECIAL)

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

We bought several of the DuPont "Screw-In Self-Charging Smoke Alarm" for use in our basement stair well, our detached garage\workshop, and in our unfinished attic. These are all places that are hard to reach to replace the batteries once a year in conventional smoke detectors. These work well if you read (and follow) the directions, but they are not for everyone -

Pros:

+Charge directly from light socket (light switch has to be on for several hours to charge)

+Fairly sensitive

+Very loud

Cons:

-Can't be used with a regular light shade

-Needs to be recharged several times a month (not a problem for us since we use these rooms several times a week)

-Low battery beeping is annoying, but does get your attention

These might not be for everyone, but they do work for my needs.

Recommended

I went to Kmart thinking they have this thing in stock like it said it has, and found myself ordering on Amazon for this thing. I think it is range is a bit more limited that I like. Essentially, a smoke upstair could not reach the downstairs where this is installed, as well as the upstairs smoke alarm. So, it is comparable usage, and who would have guessed it? Anyhow, since it didn't need a battery to screw on, I decided to have this thing move later on, but does come with a holder for a lamp bulb and works with the environmental friendly type. Overall, there's a insert with a pin placed in so if I leave it off, it comes on at a scheduled beeping and doesn't do much good since there's no smoke, so I guess that really could be something to improved upon. Anyhow, it is a good design just could do with a little more finer tuning and adjustment.

The unit has to be recharged 2 hours per week. Most weeks I have to do it two times a week. The alarm will start to go off if not charged all the way. You can only use a 60W light bulb also!!

It is good to have it in your garage. But you have to charge it a lot!!!!

Q: How many attorneys does it take to change a smoke detector?

A: One! Like that girl in the old Shake & Bake commercial "I did it all by myself!"

I have had many major skirmishes calming other smoke detectors with their infernal beeping over a burnt dinner (a frequent occurence at Chez Tundra) and battles changing them and/or their batteries. This lightswitch controlled one is so easy and care free (it recharges itself!) even *I* can do it.

To quote another old commercial:

Try it! You'll like it!!

/TundraVision, Amazon Reviewer

The product fails on several levels. (I will save the worst for last.)

- It doesn't work in most places because it doesn't fit in to most light fixtures in my house and it needs to be attached to a fixture that has no cover (how many of those do you have in your house?)

- It BEEPS incessantly. When you first install the alarm it chirps loudly once a minute until it is charged. There is no way to stop this. It is amazingly annoying and I can't believe someone designed a product to do this.

- The alarm must be "charged" i.e. the light turned on for 2 hours a week to work. If you don't charge it regularly, guess what happens...? The amazing annoying BEEPING occurs again until it is charged.

- The alarm contains radioactive material. No joke! Here is what it says on the package: "It contains a maximum of 1.0 micocurie of Americium 241, a radioactive material..." and "The purchaser is exempt from any regulatory requirements." Are you kidding me? I guess only DuPont gets to sell you items that are radioactive and be exempt from regulations. Very nice.

Anyway. Stay very far away from this product both figuratively and literally, i.e. Don't buy it and if you are unfortunate enough to see one, I recommend staying as far away as possible to avoid the radiation.

The alarm has many limitations as to where it can be used/activated. It can't be used in a lamp with a lampshade. The other lighting in my home in incompatible with the unit.