Remote Smoke Alarm Disabler (temporary) Design Help

[tclark10]

I am working on a school project to construct a remote control smoke alarm disabler to temporarily shut off the alarm when cooking.

The alarm is posistioned too close to the kitchen stove and the hallway that its located in causes it to go off frequently.

The school project would be to use a remote device to interupt the circuit until (perhaps on a delay) the harmless smoke is gone.

Any ideas on how to best use existing technology to produce this as a working model.

I was contemplating a garage door opener system, but that may not be feasible.

Looking for ideas/help.

Thanks
TC

 

[psecody]

you could just hook up a switch to it... or you could do like what I'm attempting and make an IR remote switch for it.

 

[tclark10]

IR remote needs to have a direct line of sigh correct? or can it go through walls?

I was thinking that I could use the remote control from a garage door opener to trigger the switch?

Is that even possible?

T_C

 

[Sceadwian]

IR, ultrasonic, RF doesn't matter what method you chose to talk to the smoke detector you're going to have power issues. Smoke detectors use incredibly small amounts of power, that's why they last for a few years (though you're supposed to replace the batteries yearly anyways) any kind of monitor circuit for the disableing function is going to cut the battery life to a few days or a week or two if you make an efficiant one.

 

[tclark10]

Thanks Sce,

I appreciate the heads up that the power consumption will become a factor for any long term use. However, the prototype simple has to function for the period of the demonstration.

I don't mind offering up some batteries to accomplish the task of demo-ing the smoke detector disabling function.

Ideas and design's still welcome

Regards,
T_C

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Are your school really happy for you to disable a smoke detector?, you're leaving both yourself, and the school, wide open to serious legal implications!.

If the smoke detector is in the wrong place, then it needs moving somewhere where it can still perform it's function, but not be activated by minor cooking accidents!. This needs to be done by a suitably qualified person, with suitable insurance cover!.

 

[gerty]

If it's a properly wired fire alarm the smoke detector will have a small
'supervisory' current flowing through it to prevent tampering. The panel will show trouble if the detector is disconnected, and alarm if shunted.If it's too close to the stove it should be moved, by someone that knows what their doing..

 

[ericgibbs]

hi tclark,
I personally don't think it would be a good idea to temp disable a smoke detector.
As already pointed out, the legal aspects could be a problem not to mention how the Insurance company
that covers the school would react.

You should also consider how reliable and fail safe your design will be.

Regards
EricG

With ref to any IR disable system, isnt it just possible that 'flames', heat etc, from a real fire could cause it to disable ?.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

not to mention how the Insurance company
that covers the school would react.
QUOTE]

You think UK schools have insurance?, you might like to re-think that idea!.

 

[tclark10]

Thanks for concerns all viable issues if this device were to be destined for implementation in anything other than a table top display would be cause for legal alarm.

In the end if it doesn't function it will still be graded based on its potential function and for its creativity as a solution toward a hypothetical problem.

This is a middle school project so there will be ample supply of other lawsuit material in the room. I am not concerned about the legal implications as I'm confident that this project will not survive the day of the final grade/showcase review.

I still welcome design ideas for the electrical schematic and potential components needed to mock up such a device.

Regards,
T_C

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

A piece of twin cable and a switch!.

 

[gregmcc]

A reset timer might also be a good idea, so if you switch it off while cooking and forget to switch it back on, after a while it will re-enable itself.

 

[tclark10]

Yep, that was part of my initial functional spec.

Essentially, I was thinking that

a) Smoke alarm
b) Remote control device
c) Reset timer
d) ? (The electrical component needed to trigger the reset timer and break the circuit)

If anyone can provide a basic schematic and fill in the blank components needed to complete this as plausible functioning device I would greatly appreciate it.

Regards,
T_C

 

[tclark10]

does a reset timer for the schematic have a symbol or is it a schematic in and of itself?

Also the remote should have a reference on the schematic as well...

Any help welcome.

T_C