Caveat: I think all this is right, but I Am Not An Engineer (IANAE). :-) Most smoke detectors use a small radioactive source to emit alpha particles. When the alpha particles hit the detector, everything is fine. When they don't, the alarm goes off.
I'm not sure exactly why making toast would set it off, but smouldering burners don't. Some compounds block alpha particles better than others, so maybe you have high-opacity toast aromas or something. The only other thing I can think of is if it's also a carbon monoxide detector. If it is, this makes more sense, as toasting releases more CO than when you see smoke. --Ben Adkins, Randy wrote: > OK!! I am not an expert in Smoke Detectors or anything > so many someone else has had the same issue as I have > or know something I don't. > > We have a smoke detector (of course) that when I use > our toaster to make toast, it sets it off. Now before > you ask, NO, I do not burn my toast. Setting it like a > 4 to 5 on our toaster to make the toast come out perfectly. > Not burnt at all. Hate burnt toast. > > Now the vast majority of the time I use it, the smoke detector > goes off. Not all the time but most. > > However if there is someone that has fallen on to one of the > electric burners on the stove and burns, the detector does nothing. > > Is there a sensitivity switch or something?? > > Or maybe is there a scientific explanation dealing with the > chemical compounds of the two? > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Special thanks to the CF Community Suite Gold Sponsor - CFHosting.net http://www.cfhosting.net Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:135633 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
