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Smoke Detector ?

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  1. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by ClueMinus:
    Problem is if you have a small home, and most homes in HK are small, just the fumes from cooking will set off that alarm.

    My home back in the states is almost 1,000 sq ft, but the kitchen fumes still set off the smoke detector from time to time.
    We bought the "Toast Proof" firealarm from B&Q in the UK last time we were back, burning the toast and cooking the hot oil in a wok hasn't set it off yet, but it did go off when our maid left the plastic fish slice close enough to the gas hob to melt it.
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  2. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by Zero Gravitas:
    We bought the "Toast Proof" firealarm from B&Q in the UK last time we were back, burning the toast and cooking the hot oil in a wok hasn't set it off yet, but it did go off when our maid left the plastic fish slice close enough to the gas hob to melt it.
    Do you have a link of this alarm? Thank you for sharing!

  3. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by BaconBreadBaker:
    Realized that none of my flats have ever had smoke detectors. All other places I lived before HK always had this, as it's a fairly good way to sound alarms when no one notices the fire starting.

    Any reason why there is no smoke detectors in all flats or common hallways?

    And... now that I think about it...I don't recall seeing manual fire alarm switches anywhere. But perhaps i missed this.
    new buildings - they are required to have fire sprinklers in the common areas, which detects and starts to extinguish any fire, tripping the fire alarm bell at the same time. Heat/smoke detectors are required in certain types of rooms, such as switchrooms, lift machine rooms, fuel storage room, garbage rooms, etc.

    old buildings - after the garley building fire the code was changed to include old commercial buildings, but residential buildings are different, many old buildings dont have the space or sufficent floor loading, where the owners have no excuses they should be under going upgrading to provide basic Fire services installations, i.e. fire alarm and hose reels

    read more: http://www.buildingmgt.gov.hk/file_m...cuments/26.pdf
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  4. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by dear giant:
    They don't allow it but it still happens, as it did in your case.

    If you were the only non-local who was affected by the superstitious/ritual/whatever burning, you were probably the only one to complain. The guard, whatever he may have said to you and however big the smile/friendly face he gives/gave you, almost certainly sympathizes more with whomever started the fire and just put a stop to it because, once it was brought to his attention, he had to do so in order to cover his own behind. Any attempt to "investigate" and find the responsible party was a matter of going through the motions as halfheartedly as possible to mollify you.
    If this were the case, as in smoke detectors are mandatory to be installed in every flat or house, villa, whatever in HK, then the noise would be much much worse thanks to the amount of construction going on.

    Ha ha, in 1982, I was holidaying with ( although it hardly seemed as such) my parents at the Flamingo Hilton in Las Vegas, a brand new hotel at the time and still undergoing construction work. Every night we were woken by the fire alarms screaming, so for every one of the three nights we stayed there, we found ourselves running down 15 flights of floors to the basement. Turned out there was fire but builders setting off the alarms as they worked through the night. At least one consolation was that we knew the alarms worked.

    So far, I haven't seen a fire detector , bar a sprinkler in a HK rental apartment, yet. BYO ?
    Last edited by Natfixit; 10-05-2012 at 07:59 PM.
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  5. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by jgl:
    The place in Wan Chai is here: Index

    It's a bit hard to find, down a little side street.

    > where, by the time that a smoke alarm woke you up, your one and only
    > escape route would be completely blocked.

    Which is why a sensibly positioned detector, and an extinguisher, are useful.
    And a fire blanket. We have one in the kitchen. Our fire alarms , which were bought in the UAE, are kept in the living room and bedroom - even though we do not smoke, let alone in bed.

    Before we moved into our apartment , we checked all escape routes and would not move in unless these were all clear and accessible.

    A fire extinguisher in the kitchen ...the correct types is ideal.
    Last edited by Natfixit; 10-05-2012 at 08:04 PM.

  6. #26

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    Quote Originally Posted by ClueMinus:
    Problem is if you have a small home, and most homes in HK are small, just the fumes from cooking will set off that alarm.

    My home back in the states is almost 1,000 sq ft, but the kitchen fumes still set off the smoke detector from time to time.
    Hasn't happened to me yet. Also, there are two different types of smoke detector tech. One is highly prone to false positives from cooking fumes, and the other is more reliable.

  7. #27

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    I remember living in the UK whe the alarm in the kitchen or nearby would always go off when cooking, regardless of there was smoke or not. They are the cheapest that LLs prefer...we bought two that have worked pretty well so far. Not cheap but reliable.


  8. #28

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    Original Post Deleted
    I thought you were joking! Where's the "OMFG" icon when you need it?

  9. #29

    If I had smoke detectors they be permanently going off. Its not uncommon for me to return home to find my apartment engulfed in smoke. The lady next door likes to have a bonfire outside her front door every now and then.

    At first I tried to reason with her that this was dangerous and slightly unpleasant for those living around her. She shrugged her shoulders and walked off. Needless to say she was back out having another bonfire a few weeks later.

    I got more or less the same reaction from the building management when I complained (we are in a large well known modern development).

    Now I just call the fire brigade when I see or smell the smoke. I've done it twice now - I'm hoping they start to get pi**** off soon and that will put an end to it.

    Seriously, where else in the world does someone start a fire, on purpose, half way up a massive skyscraper where thousands of people live. It's all well and good being polite and respecting people beliefs (even if it is ridiculous hocus-pocus) but not when its putting everyone's life at risk.

    Last edited by Alan Partridge; 10-05-2012 at 10:37 PM.

  10. #30

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    Alan, do you know what she burns? How old is she? Is the burning something like the following?

    Last edited by ClueMinus; 11-05-2012 at 12:34 AM. Reason: Added picture
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