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How to Cover a Smoke Detector

Wed, Apr 29, 2020

How to cover a smoke detector? When you are cooking or taking a shower and your smoke alarm starts beeping and cause a false alarm. What kind of smoke detector cover you should use? Follow the next content to tell you how to cover a smoke detector with different smoke alarm cover safety, and to stop smoke detector from beeping when cooking and shower.

Method 1: To Cover Smoke Detector with a Plastic Bag/strong>
Method 2: Use a Shower Cap to Cover the Smoke Detector
Method 3: Hiding the Sensor Channel with Tape

Method 1: To Cover Smoke Detector with a Plastic Bag

Step 1. The appropriate size of the plastic bag as the smoke detector

The bag chosen should be big enough to cover the smoke detector adequately, it should not be so large that it makes some trouble. The freezer bag, which is of quarter size and thickness, will be best for this purpose.

Don’t use a big size bag; it might happen that the material will gather around, which would permit the steam and dust to come inside it.
If you have a grocery bag having no holes in it, it will also work for this purpose.

Step 2. Use a rubber band to hold the shopping bag

Cover the smoke detector with the shopping bag, stretching a rubber band on the upper side of the shopping bag where the opening of ceiling meets.

You can use tape as well for sealing it off instead of tape if you don’t have.
You should make sure that the plastic bag is secured enough in the activities of steam, smoke, or dust.

Step 3. Take off the bag while reactivating the smoke detector

You should uncover the unit by removing the plastic bag or tape. You should not do this until the unit is cleared by air to avoid noise. Dispose off the bag and tape and save the rubber band for the next time.

Method 2: Use a Shower Cap to Cover the Smoke Detector

Step 1. Take a cheap shower cap

You should the type of caps that have no holes, tears, and slits in it. Even a small hole is present in the material; it would permit the dust and steam coming inside it and would result in noise and false detection.

You can buy the shower caps for this purpose from the market or superstore for some dollars.
If you cannot buy these shower caps for covering the smoke detectors, you can also go for plastic wraps, which we use to cover our food dishes.

Step 2. Cover the shower cap over the complete smoke detector

Designed to fit the different sizes of heads, the shower caps have elastic bands at the bottom side, which can easily stretch. The elasticity will work well for preventing the slipping over and off for the smoke detectors.

Make sure that the elastic band is in place on the unit between the ceiling and the housing to prevent the slipping over.

Step 3. Uncover the unit when steam and dust degenerate

Now uncover the smoke detector with a shower cap and keep it in reach for the next time.

Wrap the shower cap if it is without holes and throw away if it is dirty or destroyed.
Shower caps are a safer option for covering smoke detectors than using tape.

Method 3: Hiding the Sensor Channel with Tape

Step 1. Locate your sensor channel of the unit

Nearly all types of smoke detectors are equipped with small internal chambers, that can suck the traces of air for checking the presence of smoke. The new models have narrow windows and the bottom portion of the windows around the unit’s housing. But in older models, the windows are present on the top unit and attached to the ceiling. So, it also depends on the model and brand of the unit.

The smoke detector has a sensor chamber that is very sensitive and makes it reliable. Unluckily it’s sensitivity can cause accidental setting off when it catches the traces of air, dust, and chemical fumes.

Step 2. Place a strip on the sensor chamber

Now cover the entire opening with bright colored tube or painter’s tape. When you are cooking or cleaning, make sure that it is not undone.

The tape you choose should be in a bright color, so you could not forget and leave it as it is while completing everyday jobs.
You should not use transparent and white tapes because these are unnoticeable.

Step 3. Removing the tape after completion

Now peel off and dispose of the tape when the room is cleared once. Wait till visible fog has gone. Otherwise, you will not be able to set off the alarm.

You should note the setting of alarm in writing or on your phone so that you can remember to remove the tape.

Tips To Cover The Smoke Detectors

You might be in a comfortable position if you have the latest model of smoke detector. Yes, these detectors come with the features by which you may disable the alarm on a temporarily or even adjust the sensitivity for around half an hour. Better have a look at all the features of your device.
If your smoke detector is still beeping without any genuine reason, you may opt for replacing the standard ionization smoke detector with a photoelectric smoke detector as it detects fire through light instead of disturbances in the air.
Alternatively, you may go for a heat detector instead of a conventional smoke detector in specific parts of your house.