Hello, I have a weird question. Can a dying beetle set off a smoke alarm?

[DennisB]

I’m sure you’re thinking that as my first post that I’m a troll. Well let assure you that I’m not!

Here’s the thing I have been dealing with for two years now, but only around April. Last year we bought new smoke detectors and one placed in the garage. This was about January. Along comes April and the garage alarm sets off for no reason. I noticed a dead beetle which crapped its guts on the ground leaving a brown stain. I wondered if it had anything to do with it. But figured no way, pulled down the detector and returned it for a refund/replacement. Well a year later the same thing happened a few days ago. Today I found the dead body sitting beneath my air compressor, directly below the detector. Is this a coincidence, or can the guts emit a vapor that causes the detector to go off?

I have images but this platform doesn’t work the same way as other forums. Oh well…

[kevinkk]

Certain beetles emit chemicals, but typically in defense, even a fully engulfed smoking bombardier beetle may not produce enough smoke to trigger an alarm.
Some other thing is probably going on, some coincidence and the beetle has caused a short somehow. Certainly some images would help.

[adamcotton]

I have images but this platform doesn’t work the same way as other forums.

Please see viewtopic.php?t=4

You can upload a photo, but the file size must be below 800kb.

Adam.

[DennisB]

https://www.diychatroom.com/cdn-cgi/ima ... eg.831939/

I belong to a different group where photos are easily posted without size limits. I have a link to my photos there, if you’d like to see them.

Thanks. Dennis.

[DennisB]

https://www.diychatroom.com/cdn-cgi/ima ... eg.831941/

[Chuck]

Those didn't set off your smoke alarm.

[kevinkk]

it's easy to post photos here, I learned how..eventually. They just need resized typically.
I don't know about anyone else, but I click very few, if any, external links, even from people I know.

[DennisB]

I don’t want to go to stranger links either, I don’t have a computer, just my iPhone. I just did the best thing I could so as any experts could see the type of beetle and it’s juices left from its demise.

I’m not seeing any reason why these dead beetles would set off smoke alarms.
….but here’s the thing, this is the second alarm doing the same thing as the first…and both times I found dead beetles which crapped out their guts.

[eurytides]

Doubt it’s beetles. Finding dead bugs in a garage is common. Even when the alarm isn’t going off, if you look, you will probably find a dead bug here or there.

[kevinkk]

I can give you the benefit of my experience as a handyman. I replaced all the smoke alarms in a house, one was eventually determined to be defective, I am not an electrician, so the issue remained a mystery with Kevin making many trips over to the customers house in order to attempt to track down the problem,which was one alarm going off periodically.
Now that I've bored everyone- the local fire dept. fixed the problem. The customer called the FD and they came out and figured out that there was a defective unit, after which being replaced, no more problem, it may depend if your alarm is hard wired to the house power, or a stand alone unit operated with a battery, if hard wired, all your units are connected, and an issue with one will effect the others.
If I was you, and was concerned about fire, and you should be, I'd try the FD before I paid anyone for anything. If you are in a rental, it may be the land person's problem. Maybe the dead insects are a coincidence.

[DennisB]

Thanks Kevinkk.

[Papilio_indra]

I think that your air compressor is responsible for the smoke alarm going off. The electric motor and/or pump can often get quite hot and produce small amounts of smoke. If the compressor is in close proximity then the smoke alarm might be activated.

[adamcotton]

I think that your air compressor is responsible for the smoke alarm going off. The electric motor and/or pump can often get quite hot and produce small amounts of smoke. If the compressor is in close proximity then the smoke alarm might be activated.

This is a very sensible suggestion, especially if this coincided with the first use of the air-conditioner for several months. Dust settled in the compressor unit would be turned to smoke during the first use of the year. Perhaps for the first time you turn on the air you should open the garage door so that fresh air circulates in the garage for the first hour or so.

Adam.

[adamcotton]

It actually seems strange to have a compressor inside the garage (here in Thailand they are always outside), although I can understand the potential to keep the garage relatively warm at the same time.

Adam.

[Chuck]

It actually seems strange to have a compressor inside the garage (here in Thailand they are always outside), although I can understand the potential to keep the garage relatively warm at the same time.

Adam.

In NY we keep compressors inside the garage. Besides that being where we most use them, the garage is warmer for starting. If it’s below -5c, I bring the compressor inside the house the night before I need it.

[DennisB]

Hey everyone, thanks for spending time with me on this. My compressor gets regular use, almost every day. Even though it sets right underneath the smoke alarm, it never sets off false alarms. Both times the alarm has gone off in error was at nighttime. I’m pretty sure the dying bugs had nothing to do with it, but it is crazy how twice the false alarms were at the same time as the dead beetles released their guts onto the ground. I’ve had more die since the day it went off, and nothing else happened. Just have to keep wondering how the alarm went off for no apparent reason.

Thanks everyone.