Updated 11 Jun 2014
Warrior
MT588H-LB
Bottom line: This photoelectric smoke alarm is good at detecting fast (flaming) fires and excellent at detecting slow (smouldering) fires. It comes with a long-life battery.
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Test results
Overall score
Flaming fire
Smouldering fire
Good points
- Good flaming fire response.
- Excellent smouldering fire response.
- Has hush button.
- Supplied with a long-life battery.
But
(No obvious bad points.)
How we test
Overall score:
- Flaming fire (50 percent)
- Smouldering fire (50 percent)
Price is what we paid in December 2013.
About our test
Our test was conducted in the fire laboratory of the Building Research Association (BRANZ). We purchased 3 examples of each model. Our results are the average of the performances of the 3 examples.
The alarms were fixed to a ceiling panel in a mocked-up hallway adjacent to the door opening of a fireproof room (which was about the size of a single-car garage).
- The flaming fire test: 3 pieces of 40mm-square 300mm-long sticks were set alight using a small quantity of methylated spirits. The resulting smoke built up in the room and flowed into the mock hallway.
- The smouldering fire test: A 60W electric soldering iron was pre-heated and laid horizontally on to a 1.2 kg piece of 70mm-thick polyurethane upholstery foam. An electric fan was used to evenly distribute the resulting smoke out into the mock hallway.
In both tests, the smoke density was measured at the location of the alarms using a laser light-source and detector.
Full specs
Model
Price guide
Alarm type
Specifications
Hush button
Features
10-year battery life
Member reviews
"Random Alarms"
30 Apr 2017, Malcolm & Elizabeth S.
Product use: 6 months or more
Pros:
Originally liked the 10 year battery life but outweighed by Cons
Cons:
It has now gone off twice for no obvious reason (once at 11 pm at night and the other time at 7 am on a weekend morning), and was really hard to get it to stop. And I can't figure out how to open it up.
Recommend it?
No, this product has too many drawbacks.
"Failed after 6 months"
16 Mar 2016, Benjamin A.
Pros:
Nothing
Cons:
After 6 months, in the middle of the night we got a false alarm every hour. Discarded it the next day.
Recommend it?
No, this product has too many drawbacks.
"Shouldn't this product be recalled?"
12 Sep 2015, Henry B.
Pros:
None
Cons:
I am troubled by the previous review. I think Smoke Alarms are in the same category as seat belts and air bags: you need to believe that they will work when they are required to - not go off at random (which then induces you throw them in the cupboard).
I don't think CONSUMER should be recommending any Smoke Alarms that are anything less than 100% reliable in terms of doing their jobs. As recent events, like the fire in the house in Palmerston North, have shown people's lives depend on efficient and reliable smoke alarms.
Recommend it?
No, this product has too many drawbacks.
"These appear to be "everything is OK" alarms..."
27 May 2015, Andrew B.
Product use: 3 - 6 months
Pros:
They will sound at random times of the day, just to let you know everything is OK. If there is smoke or fire, listen out for silence - as that is the signal these alarms will give to warn you of impending peril.
Cons:
Seriously now...
I bought four of these, as they were affordable and well-rated. As soon as I got home, one of them sounded as soon as I installed it. I changed the battery and it did the same thing, so I returned it and swapped for another of the same model.
Since then, I have had three of the four alarms I bought sound at random times (often at ungodly hours such as 2:30 AM). I have replaced all the batteries with brand new (not a cheap exercise) and the problem continues to occur.
I've given up putting them back up on the wall, and have left all but one installed. Now seeking replacements.
Recommend it?
No, this product has too many drawbacks.
