Replacement smoke/heat alarms: Kidde vs Aico

Robin

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Sep 5, 2022, 11:49:11 AM9/5/22

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Dithering between between lithium backup, wired, interlinked smoke (5)
and heat (1) alarms from Kidde (2SFWR,3SFWR,remote) or Aico
(Ei3104,Ei3106,remote). Like Kidde's 10 year guarantee. Like Aico's low
power consumption in the specs (and would probably like AUDIOlink but
only as something to play with). Any experience, views, etc please?

--
Robin
reply-to address is (intended to be) valid

Brian

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Sep 5, 2022, 1:50:37 PM9/5/22

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Robin <r...@outlook.com> wrote:
> Dithering between between lithium backup, wired, interlinked smoke (5)
> and heat (1) alarms from Kidde (2SFWR,3SFWR,remote) or Aico
> (Ei3104,Ei3106,remote). Like Kidde's 10 year guarantee. Like Aico's low
> power consumption in the specs (and would probably like AUDIOlink but
> only as something to play with). Any experience, views, etc please?
>

I’m not familiar with Aico but always buy Kidde alarms - usually combined
CO, Smoke ones.

I’ve tripped a couple with smoke - the usual burnt toast etc. The one we
have in the motorhome has a voice alarm - not why I bought it, I was a bit
surprised when I discovered it.

Not sure of the model numbers - ours are all battery, not wired.

Vir Campestris

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Sep 6, 2022, 8:32:30 AM9/6/22

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On 05/09/2022 16:49, Robin wrote:
> Dithering between between lithium backup, wired, interlinked smoke (5)
> and heat (1) alarms from Kidde (2SFWR,3SFWR,remote) or Aico
> (Ei3104,Ei3106,remote). Like Kidde's 10 year guarantee. Like Aico's low
> power consumption in the specs (and would probably like AUDIOlink but
> only as something to play with). Any experience, views, etc please?
>

I've got Aico. Screwfix stock them, which is probably why - the sparky
picked them.

They have a 10 year life. One has died and had to be replaced.

They're in the front of my mind because a couple of days they went off
for a few seconds at 3am. Then 3:30.

I've replaced the backup batteries and hope they'll be OK now!

Of course one man's anecdote doesn't make a pattern.

Andy

ARW

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Sep 7, 2022, 12:57:19 PM9/7/22

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On 05/09/2022 16:49, Robin wrote:

> Dithering between between lithium backup, wired, interlinked smoke (5)
> and heat (1) alarms from Kidde (2SFWR,3SFWR,remote) or Aico
> (Ei3104,Ei3106,remote). Like Kidde's 10 year guarantee. Like Aico's low
> power consumption in the specs (and would probably like AUDIOlink but
> only as something to play with). Any experience, views, etc please?
>

We only fit AICO.

The Audiolink at Geoff's rental property in Watford showed that the CO
detector had gone off twice since I fitted it.

ARW

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Sep 7, 2022, 3:48:11 PM9/7/22

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Actually it was the red flashing light on the detector that made me
decide to do an Audiolink download and find out what had happened.

I fitted an AICO CO in the local Scout Hut and Lou does a reading every
6 months to keep those with little knowledge of DIY but like paperwork
happy.

Robin

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Sep 7, 2022, 4:01:24 PM9/7/22

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On 07/09/2022 17:57, ARW wrote:

> On 05/09/2022 16:49, Robin wrote:
>> Dithering between between lithium backup, wired, interlinked smoke (5)
>> and heat (1) alarms from Kidde (2SFWR,3SFWR,remote) or Aico
>> (Ei3104,Ei3106,remote). Like Kidde's 10 year guarantee. Like Aico's
>> low power consumption in the specs (and would probably like AUDIOlink
>> but only as something to play with). Any experience, views, etc please?
>>
>
> We only fit AICO.
>

Helpful, thanks.

But you'll not be surprised that I did just wonder if your firm really
wants to fit alarms that last 10 years rather than ones which generate
more work after 6 or 7 ;)

ARW

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Sep 8, 2022, 11:58:46 AM9/8/22

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You are aware that the AICOs actually self destruct after 10 years -
seriously they have a built in timer.

Robin

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Sep 8, 2022, 12:32:27 PM9/8/22

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Thanks. I wasn't. Bit naughty they don't say so.

ARW

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Sep 8, 2022, 12:50:51 PM9/8/22

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Not sure exactly how it works but the 300 instructions mention a bleep 3
times every 48 seconds to say end of life, the 3000 series was just
coming out when I did my AICO installers course

Robin

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Sep 8, 2022, 1:04:51 PM9/8/22

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Thanks again. The 3000 instructions do say that 3 yellow flashes and 3
beeps every 48 seconds mean "end of life". I'd taken that to mean a
fault had been detected rather than a timed event. Clever drafting.

ARW

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Sep 8, 2022, 1:27:22 PM9/8/22

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It seems the bleeps can be hushed but does not say if that is timed.

Went to a job a few weeks ago after work and the faulty AICO smoke said
replace by 2018 - and I fitted it. Not the 3000 series.

Rob H

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Sep 8, 2022, 3:20:43 PM9/8/22

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Did the burning toast cause the KiDDE alarm to trip, and how bad was it