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I've heard they have a definite lifespan. Hadn't heard that activation renders it unreliable, but it kind of makes sense since it's all about the sensor.

I haven't heard this, but it DOES MAKE SENSE that if the alarm goes off and the FD determines it was a false alarm........then the alarm itself is faulty and should be replaced.

ALWAYS CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT if your carbon-monoxide detector alarms!

ALWAYS CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT if your carbon-monoxide detector alarms!

totally happened to me up here in toronto. The firemen told me that the battery powered ones are not as good as the digital ones you plug in. The fire marshall himself that he only has the digital (plug in ones) in his house. So well, I went out and dropped $60 on the plug in one. better safe & sorry.

Even if the FDNY didn't suggest this, why would you want to keep an alarm that goes off without reason -- to be awaken again, and filled with concern and doubt again ??? This is a no-brainer: get a new one, even if it's just a cheap one from Home Depot etc., and get a good nights' sleep!

If it has a history of going off for faulty reasons, I would definitely replace the thing.

Better safe than sorry!

And while we're at it, everyone please go test your smoke detectors and your fire extinguishers today.

My firefighter wrote up a little how-to on my blog about fire extinguishers:

http://firewifekatie.blogspot.com/2009/07/firefighter-replies.html

this recently happened to a good friend...she was having her carpets cleaned, the truck was parked too close to the garage and the CO from the truck came into her house thru the garage sounding the alarm...luckily she was hooked up to a central monitoring station that immediately alerted emergency services who evacuated her, her son and beloved 14 yr. old pooch....luckily after a few hours recovery in the ER everyone was fine but YES it was recommended that the detectors be replaced....SMALL PRICE TO PAY FOR A LIFESAVING DEVICE!!!!

any recommendations for a good one. I have read tons of reviews of them on amazon and they all seem so so, with a lot of them giving false alarms, which is not good obviously...

i am fine with a plug in but have heard you should have them higher up, and who really has a plug higher up? Plus I rent, so i can't add a plug.

Doesn't hurt if it looks nicer then most of them either...

First, I feel the need to say: Guys, she's not asking if she should replace it because it's apparently broken, she asks if a detector should be replaced after going off _once_, no matter the reason!
Second, from what I gather from wikipedia these things work accumulatively, which means that if they get activated then they've passed the threshold and are no good anymore.

I actually heard this weekend that your CO2 alarm should be a plug-in, preferably near the floor as this is a heavy gas and will sink. Your smoke detector should be in the ceiling since smoke rises. I currently have a one of those combo-alarms but am considering investing in a new plug-in after a little more research. Anyone else know anything about this?

Sundeep, the phrase is "better safe THAN sorry".