Help me - I have a "tweet"

[Listener]

It's in my living room and I've run out of explanations:-

************

A couple of nights ago I filled the bungalow with smoke - overheating some oil in a pan.

I turned off the electricity and opened the front door, the kitchen door, the bathroom door and the bathroom window.

There was very little wind so the smoke didn't clear quickly. It didn't matter much - I was "home-alone" and the smoke was clearing slowly ...

Sandra came home and was obviously distressed by th smoke so I opened more windows - one in the "living room (West-facing) and another in the same room South- facing.

After we arose next morning, the smoke was undetectable and I closed all the windows to get the bungalow warmer.

When I first heard the "tweet" I thought I must have trapped a little bird - I opened all the windows again expecting it to find an escape. I've hunted everywhere (helped by both dog and cat) but there seems to be nothing to find ...

Imagine a budgerigar without any trill or a magnum cock-sparrow ...

It sounds about every 30 seconds and anyone in the living room can hear it. I think it comes from different directions, Sandra has the impression that it's always from the SE corner of the room - but we can't find anything there .... A neighbour on the phone heard it...

It reminds me of a baby bird in distress - but it wouldn't have survived this long. It's now 10:30 pm and the tweet is happening about every 30 seconds!

I've thought of (insect type) cricket - but they seem to rasp more than tweet. It still sounds with the electricity all switched off - no television or computer ....... :chin:

This is straight-up real life "going on now" mystery - can anyone suggest an explanation?

No trick - HELP!!!!

[Ymir's blood]

Hmm, this may be really dumb, but where's your smoke detector located?

[Ensign Steve]

I was also going to suggest that maybe your smoke detector is low on batteries. Did it sound off when you had the smoke? Maybe that sucked the last of it's energy out of it.

[Kyuss Apollo]

:yeahthat:

[Listener]

Nice thought guys - it's on the ceiling - I'll check it out - although I didn't mention hours of silence ...

I think you've located the problem - the sound seems to be coming from the smoke detector - though pressing buttons doesn't stop it.

I'll remove it's battery and see if that does the job ...


Thanks folks - I'm tweetless! :cheer:

GOOD night :) :bed:

[livius drusus]

Man, those smoke detectors can seriously drive you crazy. Don't forget to replace the battery! Safety first and all that. :handfire:

[seebs]

Sounds like the battery was low. Get a new one and put it in, ASAP!

[Listener]

Sounds like the battery was low. Get a new one and put it in, ASAP!

Many thanks to you and all the kind and caring folk who've responded.

I bought a battery this morning and put it in a few moments ago - so at least I'm covered in that direction again.

There was an old fogy from Street
who said "Help me 'cos I have a tweet"
His good friends all said
"Your smoke alarm's dead"
Now again he is safe from the heat.

:fuming:

:wave:

[JoeP]

Now that's a topical limerick.

I'm pleased you sorted out your tweet, but half disappointed it wasn't some kind of mutant cricket / death watch beetle lifeform.

We once arrived in a resort in the game parks in the east of South Africa and after a bit found there was a very irritating (piercing) insect-like squeak in the room. We hunted everywhere (and probably called the staff). Then we unpacked ... and found a cricket zipped up in one of our bags, from the last place we'd stayed at. And there are some loud crickets in Africa.

[Dingfod]

I suppose it could've been a bird (http://www.theindychannel.com/news/14384920/detail.html).

[Shelli]

I was going to suggest what everyone else suggested. Glad you got that worked out, Listener. :=)

[godfry n. glad]

Yeah, everybody beat me to the punch, too.

Around my house, we replace the batteries in the smoke alarms every time we change the clocks (coming up soon!). I've got one that is chirping about once every ten minutes at this point. It's not enough for me to do anything about it, because it means dragging out the ladder.

Cooking anything in the oven sets off the downstairs alarm. Leaving the upstairs bathroom door open while taking a shower will allow the steam to set off the upstairs one. I can temporarily shut them down with a broomstick until the source clears, but once the battery starts dying, it just chirps more and more frequently, persistant until replaced. With my hearing assist units, I cannot tell which of the three alarms is chirping....so once I figure out what the source was (I didn't know the first time, either), it's a matter of identifying the culprit.

[livius drusus]

Who needs a smoke alarm when you've got a real tweet (http://www.11alive.com/news/article_news.aspx?storyid=105229&provider=top)?

Shannon Conwell, 33, said he and his 9-year-old son fell asleep on the couch while watching a movie. They awoke about 3 a.m. Friday to find their home on fire after hearing the family's Amazon parrot, Peanut, imitating a fire alarm.

http://www.11alive.com/assetpool/images/07102385513_peanut250.jpg

[Uthgar the Brazen]

Uh-huh. I bet Peanut started the fire just so he could get an extra treat or something. "My Endless Parrot" sort of thing.

[livius drusus]

Player hater.

[cappuccino]

er....:psst: Dingford already linked to the story in his post

[livius drusus]

Four days before I did, no less. And to think I actually searched Google News for the story today 'cause I knew I'd read it somewhere before. :sheepish:

Sorry Dingfod. I tupid. :dopey:

[But]

But Dingfod didn't post a picture so I didn't click the link.

[Aerik]

This is why I'm glad my detectors are wired in. If there's a problem, I never have to wonder "Is it the battery?" Plus those rectangular batteries are so hard to find.

[Listener]

This is why I'm glad my detectors are wired in. If there's a problem, I never have to wonder "Is it the battery?" Plus those rectangular batteries are so hard to find.

Hello Aerik

I find that the mice prefer electrical wiring to mouse bait - it's a perpetual battle to keep circuits working (mine need fixing every couple of years or so).

Where in the world is it difficult to find the square batteries? They're readily availabe in every supermarket and cut price store here - not to mention ....

[Crumb]

Even "wired-in" detectors have backup batteries.

[Listener]

:luvbirds:

Hi Crumb!

[Crumb]

Hi Listener. :ciao: