(why is the maintenance guy not doing it? I have no idea)

In every rental place I lived before the pre-Tim apartment complex, there was already a fire alarm/alarms, but I was responsible for remembering to change the batteries (and then doing it). In the pre-Tim apartment complex, I think they decided that several buildings' worth of dumbasses who forgot to change their fire alarm batteries was an insurance liability, so every 6 months Paul the maintenance guy came around and changed our batteries for us. I felt like goddamn royalty.

This was the apartment where the fire alarm was mounted on the ceiling right outside the bedroom door, presumably so that tenants wouldn't burn to death in their sleep. But it was *also* basically in the kitchen, and it was so sensitive that it would go off if I cooked ANYTHING in the oven. Not burned, mind you; just regular, non-charred baking. (I started to suspect that even running the hot water too long would make it go off.)

So one evening when it went off because I boiled water or something, I tried to push the button to make the beeping stop, and it wasn't working. So I took a broom and swatted the thing off the ceiling, which was immensely gratifying.

I'm totally used to being responsible for the battery, but installing a whole new alarm is a new one.

And, ugh. That sucks. Unless your kitchen is extremely well ventilated (which no rental kitchen I've ever seen is), basically in the kitchen is truly terrible placement.

The only way we verified that the smoke alarm works in this (Tim's) house works was by letting me make grilled cheese. Once. (The smoke alarm TOTALLY works. And I am no longer allowed to make grilled cheese.)

Holes in wall, screws in holes, mount alarm on screws. I should be able to do this. But instead I'm just looking at the words and scratching my head and muttering, "I am Groot."

Take it all to the maintenance guy, hand it over and tell him, "WE are Groot."

(Spoilerfonted for bitty GotG spoilers.)

I have set off the smoke alarm via cooking in four kitchens, only half of them mine, so this house had to have a range hood. This one has a professional range hood, which is too powerful, plus the kitchen is windowed and across from two screen doors.

Doesn't matter. I've set it off a bunch of times.

JZ - are you talking about the new combo carbon monoxide/fire alarms? The landlord is responsible for purchasing and installing those. Full stop. Actually, the landlord is responsible for the installation of any and all fire alarms.

We yanked down our old smoke alarm because it was wired into the electrical system and it went off all night, every twenty minutes.

So, while they should just pay for it themselves there seems to be some feeling that we should slap something up to pass inspection.

Hooray for the Internet! I confirmed that the number I found is indeed the VIN for the 69 Mustang in the backyard! I don't know why the Utah DMV doesn't have it, perhaps it just fell out of the system.

It is that rare beast, a funny Not Always Related: [link]

The best you can do with a kitchen alarm is have one with an OFF button (yes, they do exist) so you can poke it with a broom if it goes off. Believe me, a lot of fires START in the kitchen so you want one there. It's a bother, but it can save your life, or at least your house from burning down.

(Obligatory reminder: my roommate's mother died in a fire that the presence of working smoke alarms might have saved her from. So it is a Mission with me to be The Person Who Speaks Up About Smoke Alarms.)