How to Choose the Best Smoke Detector Alarm for Your Home
How to Choose the Best
Smoke Alarms for Your Home
Properly installed and maintained, residential smoke
alarms are one of the best and least expensive ways to provide an early
warning when a fire begins. Smoke alarms save lives, prevent injuries
and minimize property damage by alerting residents early to a fire
hazard.
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Types of Smoke Alarms
There are two types of smoke alarm sensor technology: photoelectric and ionization.
- Ionization alarms
are designed specifically to detect flaming fire conditions, such as paper fires and those fed by flammable fluids.
- Photoelectric alarms
are designed specifically to detect smoldering smoke conditions, such as bedding and upholstery fires that often kill sleepers.
*For maximum protection, install alarms with both photoelectric and
ionization technology, which may provide the earliest opportunity of
detecting either smoldering or fast flaming fires.*
Smoke Alarm Facts
- According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), while
94 percent of U.S. homes have smoke alarms, more than one-third of
these alarms do not work due to dead, missing or disconnected
batteries.
- Nearly half of the nation's fire deaths occur in the six
percent of homes that do not have smoke alarms, according to the NFPA
research.
- According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the
risk of dying in homes without smoke alarms is twice as high as it is
in homes that have working smoke alarms.
Smoke Alarm Tips
- Alarms should be installed in every room of the house including
basements and finished attics, in each bedroom and hallways outside of
every sleeping area, and at the top and bottom of stairways. In a fire,
seconds count. The closer a smoke alarm is to a fire's origin, the
earlier it will sound and the more time a person has to get out safely.
- Alarms should be replaced every 10 years. Alarms monitor the
home every minute of every day and their lifespan is not infinite. If
you do not know how old your smoke alarm is, you should replace it.
- Test your smoke alarm per manufacturer's instructions and replace the batteries as needed.
- Gently vacuum your smoke alarm monthly to prevent dirt from blocking the sensor.
- Do not disable a smoke alarm in nuisance situations. Do not
"borrow" smoke alarm batteries for other uses such as toys or radios.
Instead, consider replacing the alarm with a newer model with a "hush"
feature.
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NFPA: Smoke alarms shall be installed outside each separate
sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms and on each
additional story of the family living unit, including basements and
excluding crawl spaces and unfinished attics. In new construction, a
smoke alarm also shall be installed in each sleeping room.
Product Safety Tips
Smoke Alarms
Few of us realize how easily -- and how quickly -- fire can destroy
our homes and take the lives of those we love. Fortunately, a product
is available that can help protect us against fire… the smoke alarm.
By providing an early warning in the event of fire, smoke alarms may
allow you and your family sufficient time to reach safety. Many people
have neglected to install smoke alarms despite their life-saving
potential and low cost. Even those who do have smoke alarms often take
them for granted -- forgetting that they need some attention to
continue working properly. Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) offers
the following tips for purchasing and maintaining smoke alarms.
Cut your family's risk in half - buy smoke alarms today
Experts report that consumers may cut their risk of dying in a home fire in half simply by having a smoke alarm in their homes.
Look for the UL Mark
When you purchase a smoke alarm, look for the UL Mark on the product
as well as on the packaging. The UL Mark tells you that a
representative sample of the smoke alarm has been evaluated by
Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) to nationally recognized safety
requirements. It also means that UL conducts follow-up evaluations to
countercheck that samples of the smoke alarm continue to meet these
safety requirements.
Photoelectric and Ionization type alarms
There are two types of smoke alarms available today: photoelectric
and ionization. When smoke enters a photoelectric alarm, light from a
pulsating light source in reflected off the smoke particles onto a
light sensor, triggering the alarm. When smoke enters an ionization
alarm, ionized air molecules attach to the smoke particles and reduce
the ionizing current, triggering the alarm. While photoelectric smoke
alarms generally respond faster to smoldering smoke conditions and
ionization smoke alarms generally respond faster to flaming fire
conditions, both types provide adequate protection against fire.
Combination smoke alarms featuring both photoelectric and ionization
technology are also available at hardware, department and home
improvement stores.
There's safety in numbers
Install at least one smoke alarm on each floor of the house or
residence and outside all sleeping areas. Some fire safety advocates
recommend installing smoke alarms inside each sleeping area if sleeping
with the door closed.
Test, clean and maintain your smoke alarms
Working smoke alarms are needed in every home and residence. Test
and maintain your smoke alarms at least once a month, or follow the
manufacturer's instructions. Smoke alarms most often fail because of
missing, dead or disconnected batteries. Replace batteries at least
once a year.
Practice a fire escape plan
In addition to installing smoke alarms in your home, the safety
experts at UL also recommend that you develop a fire escape plan and
practice it at least twice a year with all members of your household.
In the event of a fire, every family member should know at least two
ways out of each room. Stay as close to the floor as possible during
your escape. Hot air and smoke rise, so the air nearest the floor may
be safer to breathe. If you encounter a closed door during your escape,
feel the door before opening it. If it's hot to the touch, use another
exit. The heat could indicate fire on the other side of the door. Teach
your children how to escape in case of a fire -- not to hide under a
bed or in a closet.
Some individuals, particularly children, older people and those with
special needs, may not wake up to the sound of a smoke alarm. You
should be aware of this when developing your home fire escape plan.
Designate a well-lit place, a safe distance away from your home,
where everyone will meet in the event of a fire. This will help
firefighters determine if anyone else is still inside the home. And
remember; never return to a burning building for any reason.
Review of smoke alarm installation, safety and maintenance
- Read and follow the manufacturer's installation and maintenance instructions exactly.
- Install fresh batteries in your smoke alarms at least once a year.
- Don't allow anyone to disconnect or "borrow" the batteries
from your smoke alarms. A smoke alarm can't work unless it's connected
to a power source.
- If a smoke alarm's warning alarm sounds, don't panic. Stay
close to the floor and get out of the building. Before opening any
doors, check the temperature. If the door feels hot to the touch, don't
open it. Use an alternate exit.
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