A false alarm might be considered to be an indication that your toast was done two minutes ago and that a bit of scraping would be needed.
There are other types of alarm, like a vibrating pad (goes under the pillow) that would probably be of more use - when used with a flashing light as well you're more likely to wake up.
Just being pedantic, if burnt toast sets off your fire alarm it is *not* a false alarm, it is an 'unwanted alarm'. The distinction being that the equipment worked as intended, there wasn't a false report of smoke.
My mum used to know her toast was done when the smoke alarm went off. The installer fitted it onto a very low ceiling right above the cooker
When the estate renovated my farm cottage they installed CO and fire detectors. The fire detectors detect heat, not smoke and the cleverly installed one directly above the oven. Every time I use the grill it sets it off and it's linked to the other ones in the house. Good excercise if we fancy bacon butties.
Our legislation states a heat one has to be installed in the kitchen. I already have a carbon monoxide one there. I'm now trying to find a local supplier of a mid-sized sturdy step ladder with top handrail. I think I'll have to visit a builder's merchant.
Like the guy who fitted one for Leslie's mum, that is either gross incompetence or taking the piss and I suspect the latter. You really should have got the estate factor (or equivalent) round and made him/her a bacon buttie. I am sure he/she would have taken delight in brutalising the culprit's employer in to rectifying it and there is less chance the aerisol would have done it again.
When My son was 10 one of his buddies told me his mom cooked using the smoke detector method. When the smoke detector went off dinner was ready.
The kitchen needs to be well ventilated if a conventional detector (smoke or CO) is fitted, I don't know what threshold temperature the heat detectors go off - I've not come across them before. If the ventilation is poor the air can stratify and any detector near the ceiling will see quite high concentrations of smoke precursors and CO. I'd guess a temperature difference ceiling to floor of 30 degrees C would easily be reached in winter especially cooking/frying on gas without a good quality extractor hood/fan.
If I have to have one,. I'm going to request it is put near the door to the livingroom. That door is seldom shut.
I am quite paranoid about CO. I have sole (portable) CO detectors in the kitchen for the boiler etc, one in the lounge for the real fire, one in the snug for the real fire and one upstairs, just because. Smoke detector/optical heat detectors in the hallway near the kitchen, one at the foot of the stairs and one on the top landing. One of my daughters friends died of CO poisoning and a couple of ex colleagues came very close .
