Toaster sets off smoke alarm; unsafe?

fiish

Dear MoneySavers,

I am not sure if this is the right forum for this question, it seemed to be the best match to me but if it is in the wrong place please move it

Anyway, I have a toaster given to me by a relative when I moved into a new home. The home, like a good rental property, has smoke alarms. Now, I have found that every time I use the toaster the alarm gets triggered when the bread is browning. I do smell a bit of smoke when toasting bread, and it has a more 'electric' smell than with toasters I've used previously. Is this something I should be worried about?

Thanks!

cuffie

Is the toaster brand new? Sometimes they have a smell initially which is kind of burning off the manufacturing smells (if that makes sense!!). Some smoke alarms are very sensitive. Our last house was open plan and I used to set off the smoke alarms up the top of the stairs when cooking! If you are concerned, ask your relative where they got it from and see if you can return it or at least ask someone have a look at it if you think it is faulty.

Failing that - when you do the toast, open a window! It ended up blowing a gale though my kitchen in our old house!
x

coolagarry

Toasters setting off the smoke alarm is normal. That's why I have a smoke alarm in the laundry room and the hallway but not in the kitchen. I always close the kitchen doors before toasting or grilling.

brightonman123

maybe some crumbs stuck in the bottom?

give the toaster a gentle shake, upside down..

or buy a new one?

wallbash

Toasters setting off the smoke alarm is normal.

Very true , keep door closed and open a window.

My Aunt keeps removing her alarm battery , so planning to resite the smoke alarm.

ormus

my MIL sets of her alarm every time she cooks bacon.
the siting of the alarm and certain cooking methods/foods obviously have some effect.

wolfehouse

no toasters allowed in my nhs workplace due to the same issue

fiish

I see. Thanks a lot. At least I know the toaster isn't going to explode in a ball of fire now

andrew-b

No guarantee it still wont catch fire......but at least you know the smoke alarm is working and will warn you if it does!

In the past i've had bread get stuck in the toaster when it was meant to pop out and carry on toasting. I had completely forgotten about the toast and left the kitchen leaving the door open as i left..a while later the smoke alarm in the hall went off and when i reached the kitchen it was a haze of smoke as by then the toast was smouldering heavily. A few seconds more may have been all it would have taken to ignite and the situation may have been very different. Leaving the door open when i'd left the room meant i got a warning to be able to deal with the situation sooner than if the door had been closed.

Moral of the story: get a smoke alarm and avoid leaving your toaster unattended but if you must leave the room leave the door open so if it catches fire you know about it sooner.

Don't be tempted into taking the batteries out your smoke alarm..better to have false alarms now and again than no alarm when you really do need it. It's no hype..smoke alarms do save lives - anyone reading this who hasn't got one get one asap! And those who already have them...go test them!

Andy

Canucklehead

Hi

Fit one of these ?
Move the smoke one to the room/hall outside the kitchen.

Corgi Guy.

mineallmine

Maybe try turning the 'toasting' dial down a notch or two? Also as other poster has suggested, try (unplugged) giving it a bit of a shake clean.