Inspection of an Expired Smoke Detector.

by Mjtrinihobby

1.1K83

Intro: Inspection of an Expired Smoke Detector.

This old smoke detector in my home has become a nuisance by going off on its own.

STEP 1: The Dates.

The service life on these cheap smoke detectors is about 10 years after which it becomes unreliable.

STEP 2: The Tool.

My Handy pen knife came in useful in this job.

STEP 3: Popping It Open.

Using the knife blade, I popped the 3 clips holding the cover. Now the guts of the smoke detector is available for inspection.

STEP 4: The Internals.

Here the ionization chamber and piezo speaker can be seen in addition to the circuit board. Such a shame it cannot be refreshed.

STEP 5: Salvage.

The 9v battery clip is perfectly good so I removed this for use in future projects.

STEP 6: The End.

The rest of the smoke detector is good for garbage now. These detectors contain a very tiny amount of Americium as the radioactive ionization source. Once the ionization chamber is not interfered with, it is perfectly safe to dispose in regular household garbage. Bye-bye old detector!

4 Comments

jmwells 7 years ago

While I understand you thinking the rest can go in the trash, it can not. It is a hazardous waste. The ionization chamber contains a radioactive material. It it should be disposed of properly.

joshcube 7 years ago

No restriction from the federal level on disposing of smoke detectors under 5 μCi in the US (source: https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/techtalk/t...). According to the source, modern consumer units are under 1 μCi.

That being said, anyone reading this should not attempt to open the ion chamber. Even though consumer grade detectors have a tiny amount of radioactive material, Americium is a "bone seeker". Meaning if it gets into your system your body tends to metabolize it and deposit it in your bones instead of passing through your urine.

Mjtrinihobby 7 years ago

Thank you very much!