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Effing smoke detector beeping!!!

33 replies

joystir59 · 03/10/2020 00:37

Its half past midnight and it's been beeping for the last hour. I had an electrical come this afternoon to replace all the batteries in the detectors throughout the house, because one was beeping, and it's beeping again now. They are hard wired detectors and we have 6 or them because it's a three storey house that used to be a student dwelling. I want rid of them because of this noise!!! I want an electrician to come and disconnect them all. I can't stand them! My wife died 13 weeks ago and I'm very anxious panicky and sad. I went away last weekend and came back to a leak from.the bathroom.sink that's soaked the ceiling of the room underneath. I've resolved the leak. Now this. There is always something and I am struggling to cope. I just want a hand hold and just not to feel alone. Goodness knows how I will sleep, wish it would shut up

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Janevaljane · 03/10/2020 00:38

We can turn ours off at the mains.

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honeybeedream · 03/10/2020 00:39

They need replaced as they only last a set number of years depending on the model even if they are wired.

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joystir59 · 03/10/2020 00:39

By the way I live in a lovely house I don't want you to think it's horrible. Just keeps springing things on me to deal with and I can't keep dealing with things. I want to live in a caravan or cabin somewhere.

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joystir59 · 03/10/2020 00:40

I want to check into a hotel and not be responsible any more but my MIL lives here with me and I've got a hyper nervy JRT.

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joystir59 · 03/10/2020 00:41

The house needs a deep clean. So many jobs need tackling to.make it homely. I couldn't get anything much done for the last year because my wife was ill. This year has been so difficult

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Anordinarymum · 03/10/2020 00:43

Or perhaps someone to talk to ?

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Anordinarymum · 03/10/2020 00:44

Don't let things overwhelm you, or feel guilty for grieving. Make a list of what needs doing and try to do one job a day?

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Shouldbedoing · 03/10/2020 00:47

I'm sorry for your loss joystir. I can't imagine how you're putting one foot in front of the other.
Might there be water in the alarm electrics triggering the circuit?
Short term.can you get maximum distance from it and wear earplugs or play music?

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joystir59 · 03/10/2020 00:47

Its just shut up. Its making me a nervous wreck. The alarms were all replaced last year.

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joystir59 · 03/10/2020 00:47

Not alarms, smoke detectors

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joystir59 · 03/10/2020 00:48

I'd love someone to talk to

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joystir59 · 03/10/2020 00:48

My wife was my best friend and I really miss her. We were a good team.

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ThaliaLuxurySpa · 03/10/2020 00:50

Oh, @joystir59, I'm so very sorry your wife died.

And so recently. Must feel all too raw and shocking.

No wonder you're reeling, anxious and struggling.
Bloody domestic irritations piling on top are yet more stress.

Do you have anyone supporting you in RL?
If yes, and you feel able to reach out, I'd be baldly honest, confide to them you're needing extra help right now, and ask them to sort the electrician/alarm on your behalf.

Often helpful for a 3rd party to be firm and practical.

Sending kind thoughts your way.

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ThaliaLuxurySpa · 03/10/2020 00:52

Sorry, was bit behind with reading your other replies. Caught up now.

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joystir59 · 03/10/2020 00:53

@47Shouldbedoing water triggering the detector is an interesting idea. I don't think the bathroom spread as far as to where any of the detectors are, but it does seem a bit of a coincidence. All water from the leak is drying out well aided by a dehumidifier.

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Anordinarymum · 03/10/2020 00:53

Kind thoughts coming from me too

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joystir59 · 03/10/2020 00:56

@50ThaliaLuxurySpa thank you for your kindness. I do have some really good friends around me but don't like to burden them too much as they each have busy lives and their own stuff going on. But in the morning I will see if I can have a coffee with one of my friends.

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Notanapplelover · 03/10/2020 00:57

Deepest sympathy for loosing your wife.
The beeping detector needs to be replaced. Ours isn't hard-wired, but one of them started beeping and no matter that it was only 2years old and meant to be lasting for another 5, it would just beep and beep! One night I took it off, threw it in a bin outside, but the next night it started beeping inside the bin!
Just switch everything at the mains and try to deal with it tomorrow, not now. Also, when you have a large and, maybe, old, house, there's constantly something to do in it. It's relentless!
Maybe, you need to talk to someone about your grief and MH.
Much love. Keep strong.

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joystir59 · 03/10/2020 00:58

@53Anordinarymum thank you.

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joystir59 · 03/10/2020 01:01

@57Notanapplelover thank you! I'm getting some counselling in a couple of months. The house was built in 1810. Yes, everyone around here is constantly battling with their houses!

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ThaliaLuxurySpa · 03/10/2020 01:11

Smoke detector aside, if your finances allow for such, would it make you feel better to pay for a pro-cleaner to come in and do a deep clean/tidy?

No shame in having had to let housework take a back seat whilst prioritising your wife's care needs. Anybody would understand that.

Perhaps even just a room or two, so you have a stress-free space to be comfortable in?

Then you could slowly do a room at a time, as and when you can.
(Or pay the cleaner to return and do so?)

A cleaner would be objective, obviously not having the emotional attachments to things which you & your MIL (who must be grieving too) probably find too overwhelming now.

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joystir59 · 03/10/2020 01:22

@11ThaliaLuxurySpa that's a lovely suggestion. I think though that the process of sorting and cleaning is good for me if slow difficult and painful. I find it hard focussing on tasks because my feelings hijack me, but I do make progress. I cleared cleaned and sorted the coat rack and shoe stand today. Of course this involved being confronted with my wife's coats and shoes. In the pocket of a jacket I found her favourite big chunky fun watch. So then tears, of course. It's good to cry. But tiring and it slows the job down.

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joystir59 · 03/10/2020 01:24

People on Mumsnet are so kind. Thank you. I will keep in mind the possibility of getting a cleaner and the idea from another poster if letting my friends know that I'm really not coping very well.

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AlwaysLatte · 03/10/2020 01:25

Argh that is so annoying - you lie there waiting, seething, for the next beep. I feel your pain!

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Anordinarymum · 03/10/2020 01:27

OP I know I have posted about this before, but until I found mumsnet I did not openly talk about my innermost feelings. Other people have posted how bad they feel to have lost a loved one, and I could understand how they felt because this has happened to me. My feelings are raw still but posting on here has helped and made me feel less lonely.
It doe not matter how many people you have around you - your pain is your own and not something you want to foist onto anyone.
Talking here helps. Offloading through your fingertips is good therapy.

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