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Smoke Alarms
What is a Smoke Alarm?
A smoke alarm is a device that senses heat, smoke or fire and subsequently sets off an alarm. There are two basic types of alarms, photoelectric and ionization.
- Photoelectric: When smoke enters the photoelectric smoke alarm it distorts the path of the very small light inside and activates the alarm. this smoke alarm reacts faster to smoke.
- Ionization: This smoke alarm has a small amount of radioactive material. Smoke entering the smoke alarm disrupts the electrical current inside and activates the alarm. This type of alarm will react faster to open flames.
Why are Smoke Alarms Needed?
Smoke alarms are
needed for safety, to alert you of a fire so you can put it out or leave the building and call the fire department. Studies
have shown that in a house where working smoke alarms are present, the chance of dying in a fire is cut in half.
Not bad for a $10.00 investment.
.
Where
are they Needed?
The main job of a smoke alarm is to protect people while they are sleeping. Therefore, every bedroom should have a smoke alarm. Also, outside of every bedroom there should be a smoke alarm. Since fires can get very large before even reaching the bedroom, one additional smoke alarm should be placed on each floor. Finally a smoke alarm should be mounted near any combustion fuel equipment. Sounds like a lot??? Remember that "where working smoke alarms are present, the chance of dying in a fire is reduced significantly.
.
Generally,
do not place smoke alarms in garages, near kitchens, unheated attics and crawl spaces. They will tend to go off sporadically
and cause more trouble than they are worth.
.
More specifically
where are they mounted?
They can be installed on the ceiling, or on the wall. When installing on the
ceiling they should be several inches away from the wall. When installing on the wall they should be no closer than 6"
to the ceiling and no further than 12". They should be kept a minimum of 3" away from forced air supply registers,
from the opening to a kitchen or bathroom (this does not include powder rooms). Avoid mounting on a ceiling with no insulation
in the attic above. Also, avoid mounting on low areas of a sloped ceiling - mount on a high area.
.
How
can I tell if the smoke alarm functions?
The simplest test is to push the button on the alarm and
be sure the horn sounds. This should be done once a month. it will test the battery and horn. Some people use smoke tests-but
these are not always accurate as the smoke alarms are very sensitive devices and delivering the correct amount of smoke is
not possible.
.
What is the difference between a battery operated
smoke alarm and a hard wired alarm with battery backup?
Battery operated smoke alarms operate on a
battery only. They are easily installed to a ceiling without making additional holes. The hard wired alarm with battery backup
has a battery fro emergency, but functions mainly on the electrical wiring system of the home. One very important benefit
to these type of smoke alarms is that they can be interconnected so that when one alarm goes off, they will all sound the
alarm. Generally, hard wired alarms are only installed during new construction.
.
How
long do batteries and smoke alarms last?
One can tell if a battery is getting low because it will start the horn "chirping". Rather than wait for this last minute situation it is far better to change all of the batteries once a year. Make a habit to always change the batteries on a specific day, such as New years Day or on the first day of Daylight Savings Time. Smoke alarms last for 10 years. Tracking this date can be difficult and the manufacturer provides no warning. After 10 years the smoke alarms looses it's ability to sense smoke or fire and should be discarded. It would be prudent to use a marker to record the date installed inside the cover so when you change your batteries, you will note the date installed.
One can tell if a battery is getting low because it will start the horn "chirping". Rather than wait for this last minute situation it is far better to change all of the batteries once a year. Make a habit to always change the batteries on a specific day, such as New years Day or on the first day of Daylight Savings Time. Smoke alarms last for 10 years. Tracking this date can be difficult and the manufacturer provides no warning. After 10 years the smoke alarms looses it's ability to sense smoke or fire and should be discarded. It would be prudent to use a marker to record the date installed inside the cover so when you change your batteries, you will note the date installed.
.
What else do I need to know?
- Using either the photoelectric or ionization smoke alarm is fine. Somewhat better are the combination alarms that have both sensors in them, however they are more costly.
- A really deluxe system would include smoke alarms with radio controls to activate all alarms when only one first goes off. This system is very expensive.
- If you have combustion equipment in the home you have the chance of carbon monoxide gaining entry and so a carbon monoxide detector is a good idea. They are sold separately or in combination with the smoke alarms.
- Municipalities are now placing severe fines on the owner of properties, where someone is hurt in a fire where there are no smoke alarms or non-functioning alarms.
- This you should already know: "Where working smoke alarms are present, the chance of dying in a fire is "cut in half".