Smoke/fire detector in detached garage

[philshevlin]

I tried searching but couldn't find an answer...

I'm building a barn that is 200' from my house. I'm looking for some ideas on fire (and security). I'm hoping for something that does not require monitoring, since I'm only 200' away.

I'm also hoping to have a solution that doesn't rely, solely, on an audible siren. I'm hearing impaired and a siren 200' away may not wake me. An alarm on my smartphone will wake me. So maybe a "smart home" system??

Any help is appreciated.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

You could always trench it to the house and wire it in with your house smoke detectors.

 

[grantw]

You could always trench it to the house and wire it in with your house smoke detectors.

I was going to mention hardwired detectors and the optional relay kits, but then you would need to run two "feeds" to the shop, and IIRC, you can't feed a building with more than one source...


most hardwire detectors all want to be on the same branch so signaling works between all detectors via a common hot and neutral to base the red wire's signal levels off of. Maybe you could fish an extra conductor for the hard-wired detector alarm, and make sure your shop detectors and house detectors are on the same leg both sides? just an idea...

 

[Mustang51js]

Nest has wireless smoke alarms that go to your phone. You can use the battery or hardwire,battery last 10 years. If your looking for a strobe light,you can get them to hook up to hardwired smoke alarms,which you could put 1 or 2 hardwired ones in there and the nest ones to go to your phone

 

[ishiboo]

Nest has wireless smoke alarms that go to your phone. You can use the battery or hardwire,battery last 10 years. If your looking for a strobe light,you can get them to hook up to hardwired smoke alarms,which you could put 1 or 2 hardwired ones in there and the nest ones to go to your phone

Yeah. The Nest smoke/CO detector sounds perfect.

 

[ishiboo]

I was going to mention hardwired detectors and the optional relay kits, but then you would need to run two "feeds" to the shop, and IIRC, you can't feed a building with more than one source...


most hardwire detectors all want to be on the same branch so signaling works between all detectors via a common hot and neutral to base the red wire's signal levels off of. Maybe you could fish an extra conductor for the hard-wired detector alarm, and make sure your shop detectors and house detectors are on the same leg both sides? just an idea...

The Kidde detectors in my house use a third wire to do the signaling. So you could run just that wire and use their relay kit to do just about anything.

 

[philshevlin]

I am sure the phone will wake me... Its my source for tornado warnings and has woken me several times.

Nest sounds interesting.

Thanks all!

 

[Obi-Wan]

On the subject of smoke detectors in the garage, I was under the impression that standard detectors shouldn't be put in a garage because sawdust, exhaust, etc would set them off prematurely. Have they progressed to the point where that's no longer a concern, or do I need special smoke detectors to toleration a workshop / horse barn?

 

[turfgnome]

On the subject of smoke detectors in the garage, I was under the impression that standard detectors shouldn't be put in a garage because sawdust, exhaust, etc would set them off prematurely. Have they progressed to the point where that's no longer a concern, or do I need special smoke detectors to toleration a workshop / horse barn?

I talked to an engineer recently about my shop as we do not have them due to exhaust from engines setting them off. He informed me that anyplace that has lots of dust and machinery should go with heat sensors as they will be more accurate for dusty conditions. And engines was totally out with smoke detectors.

 

[rwilner]

Heat detectors are required in garages by mass code - they won't let you use smokes.

 

[dw1]

Nest has wireless smoke alarms that go to your phone. You can use the battery or hardwire,battery last 10 years. If your looking for a strobe light,you can get them to hook up to hardwired smoke alarms,which you could put 1 or 2 hardwired ones in there and the nest ones to go to your phone

I put one of these in at my barn (I live a mile down the road) it works great, I can check the app on my phone, it will let me know that my barn is healthy. I mainly did it as a remote safety, it sends notification to my cell phone if any smoke/CO2 alarms.

 

[Obi-Wan]

I'd love to find a heat detector with remote capabilities. A brief search earlier today didn't turn up anything.

 

[75gmck25]

Honeywell/Ademco has the 5800 series of wireless home alarm systems, and they offer smoke and CO detectors, water sensors, glass break sensors, etc. The smoke and CO detectors sound at the location, and also set off the siren built into the panel. You can also use a relay to have the panel activate an external siren. Alarm company monitoring is optional if you only need a local alarm.

The Honeywell systems are very easy to install, although I find the user interface/setup on the panels to be a little confusing. The overall system also gets relatively expensive if you use all wireless sensors, since most of the sensors run about $20. If you buy the Zbridge module you can have the alarm panel work with the Zwave Honeywell home automation products, but those products are also relatively expensive.

Bruce

 

[smalltown]

Interesting thread as I was looking to install a combination carbon monoxide/gas alarm in my propane heated garage. Never gave a thought about tractor fumes or garage sawdust. Heat sensor wouldn't do me much good with carbon monoxide or a gas leak.

Back to the drawing board for me

 

[Obi-Wan]

Interesting thread as I was looking to install a combination carbon monoxide/gas alarm in my propane heated garage. Never gave a thought about tractor fumes or garage sawdust. Heat sensor wouldn't do me much good with carbon monoxide or a gas leak.

You'd need to keep the fire sensors separate from the gas sensors anyway, because gas sinks and heat rises. Put a CO/gas sensor near the floor, and a heat sensor near the ceiling. That said, I don't know if/how dust would affect the CO sensor.