WiFi smoke detector alarm and extractor for boat´s kitchen

Greetings sailors, today we are finally going to recover a little sanity and we are going to talk about serious things, about the bad fumes that can be generated inside our boat and that can be a sign that there is a fire on board or simply of that we are not ventilating well while we cook …

So, in summary, today we are going to install a smoke detector on our boat, of course, connected to our Wi-Fi network to receive alerts on the mobile phone. And we are also going to build a very simple but useful invention. A smoke extractor for the kitchen of our boat.

Motivation

Obviously, if there is smoke inside our boat, especially if we are not in, it can be a very very very bad sign.

Almost certainly it will mean that we have the start of a fire on our ship, and that the sooner we find out, the sooner we can act on it.

So today we will start by installing a very simple and cheap smoke detector, about 10 euros so that we can find out very quickly if a fire starts on the boat when we are not in it .. And be able to act accordingly ..

But smoke is something that can also accompany us naturally on the boat, for example while we cook or it can be bad smells or heat …

So let’s see how with very little money 4 or 5 euros we can build a smoke extractor for the boat’s kitchen, which will also help us to ventilate and get rid of bad smells or a little heat in summer.

In any case, if you usually cook on the boat, you will have noticed that, as in a caravan or a camper van, it is not advisable to cook certain things inside … especially if you do not want to flood your boat with smells and fumes.

Purchases
The truth is that this project is terribly simple, and shopping is going to be too

For smoke detection we are going to buy a 10 euro wifi smoke sensor, which works with batteries, has an audible alarm and also, through the wifi of our boat, it will send us notices to our mobile phone .. as well that happens with our alarm door sensors or bilge flood sensor.

Specifically we are going to buy this one from Aliexpress (the one in the center) that you also have a similar one on Amazon.

We will need a 9V battery to make it work, which you can buy at any store or directly on Aliexpress or Amazon

And to make our smoke extractor, we are going to buy a pair of rechargeable fans like this one from Aliexpress, which you also have on Amazon in this case with the battery included.

And to make them work, a pair of 16850 rechargeable batteries like these from Aliexpress that you won’t need if you buy the one from Amazon.

Also, if you are curious about the smoke we use in the video or you want to try with your own smoke, on Aliexpress they sell some pills to generate smoke, even colored ones.

Assembling
The assembly is quite simple, we will start with the smoke detector.

We have to download and install the Tuya Smart application, if we do not have it already installed, from Google Play or the Apple Store.

Then we will start it and go to add a new Protection Sensor and choose Wifi Smoke Detector

In order for the application to recognize it, we will have to put the battery in the sensor and in the next 20 seconds press the reset button for 5 seconds until it beeps once and starts to flash.

With this, the application will detect it and we will have it ready to go.

To install it, because in a place close to the ceiling (since the smoke accumulates first there) and in my experience, it is better to mount it on the wall than on the ceiling, it seems that the smoke enters it easier and detects faster. But once the ship is flooded with smoke, the sensor will detect it wherever it is …

As for the smoke extractor … Well, it is very simple, put the battery in the fans, charge them with the USB cable and when you are going to use them, adjust it to one of the boat portlights, as shown in the video.

Conclusions
Well, any alarm that we install on the boat to warn us of a risk when we are not on it will give us a lot of peace of mind … so, obviously, the smoke detector will be essential and in future posts we will see how to add other personalized alarms …

But if we go to the smoke extractor … it is great how such a simple invention can make life on the boat more pleasant … they are cheap, easy to use and adapt very well to our needs.

You can regulate the speed and the truth is that putting them at full throttle from the outside you can see the jet of hot air and smoke that is being extracted from the kitchen.

To have happened in an impromptu way last summer is not bad at all.

In my case it is great how well they fit, I will surely buy some more even, because later I use them for more things .. from their original use, to cool off a bit in the cabins, simply ventilate installed in any porthole .. or even to refrigerate my Chinese compressor that I used to charge my emergency diving equipment .. but that looks like it will star in another episode ..