Hi. I have a 2-wire firewolf that blinks green on those two LEDs every few seconds... but then it blinks red a couple of times, then goes back to green. I've searched for this in the manual with no luck. I even took it down and tried to blow anything out of it with a bit of compressed air, no luck. Is it defective? Thanks much.
Napco says they should only flash green (normal) or red (needs cleaning or service).
"In normal condition both LEDs flash Green. When the sensitivity drifts outside of its sensitivity limits, both LEDs flash Red (e.g., when the unit needs cleaning). In the alarm state both LEDs are on Red continuously. When the condition exists as stated above, the device needs to be cleaned or returned to the factory for servicing."
You should try doing a more thorough cleaning of the sensing chamber. The air shot only blows out loose dust. It doesn't remove deposits which can form on the inside of the chamber.
If that doesn't work and it's still in warranty I can get it repaired or replaced for you. If not, just replace it. The FW-2 is fairly inexpensive, around $36 retail.
OK I will give it another go. When I cleaned it out the first time, it stayed green for a few weeks. Now it's back, so I suppose it does need a better cleaning. Thanks for the advice. I just don't want to go and buy another one, and another one, and another one... know what I mean? In fact, I do have an extra 4-wire lying around but I don't think I can use it in this situation right? I can't really replace a 2 with a 4? Especially if it is in series with another 2...? Thanks
You're most welcome.
Yep. A good rule of thumb is to replace all of them at
10 years. Before that, clean them semi-annually. I used to clean them with Q-tips and alcohol. Although some folks here claim that's bad, I never had problems doing so.If your panel has a spare zone that can be set up for a 4-wire smoke you could use it but I wouldn't. Some future resident might not realize there are two types and mistakenly replace one or more with the wrong type. Also, they operate differently so you wouldn't mix them on the same circuit in any case.
Fine point: Smokes are actually wired in parallel -- not in series.
Right, parallel sorry, my bad. You know what, I just cleaned it and tested it with a rare-earth magnet... I think I held it there for a whole minute, no dice. I can trigger my other 2-wires fine with it. So, I think I'll just chuck it and order a replacement from your site. There's no problem mounting it on a wall vertically, right? It's the only one I have that's not on a ceiling... I don't think that matters, though.
Correct, there's no problem with wall mounting. Just make sure it's between
4" and 12" from the ceiling. Placement closer than 4" or lower than 12" below the ceiling will delay entry of smoke into the sensor. There's a graphic on the instruction sheet that shows where to locate smoke detectors. If you need more help, feel free to call.
Before you order any more Firewolfs (Firewolves??), please ensure they are on the compatibility list for your specific alarm panel. Bass sells these detectors as a "package" with panels that DO NOT list them which clearly demonstrates he doesn't have the knowledge required to recommend
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