Smoke Detectors
The Cleveland County Fire Marshals Office suggests
that each time you change your clock, you change the battery in you smoke
detector.
More information about smoke detectors;
National Fire Protection
Association
The following information is courtesy of the National Fire Protection
Association.
Smoke detectors aren't new. The
technology has been around since the 1960s. The single-station, battery-powered
smoke detector, similar to the one we know today, became available to consumers
in the 1970s. NFPA estimates that 93% of U.S. homes have at least one smoke
detector. They save so many lives that most states have laws requiring them in
residential dwellings.
Although 13 of every 14 homes have at least
one smoke detector, almost half of home fires and three-fifths of fire deaths
occur in the share of homes with no detectors. Thousands of people still die
each year in home fires where smoke detectors aren't present.
In addition, there are now more homes with
smoke detectors that don't work than homes without detectors at all. These
poorly maintained units create a false sense of security among occupants.
Approximately one-third of homes with smoke detectors that experience fires have
smoke detectors that aren't working, and hundreds of people die each year in
these fires.
Tragically, the grave importance of installing
and maintaining smoke detectors has not yet been fully realized. Most people who
die in home fires are not in the room where the fire starts; working smoke
detectors alert people to fire and give them time to escape in a situation where
minutes can mean the difference between life and death.
Having a smoke detector cuts your chance of
dying nearly in half if you have a home fire. By properly placing, regularly
testing and maintaining your detectors, you can ensure that they are in fact
working and will alert you if a fire breaks out. Make sure you buy only those
detectors that bear the mark of an independent testing laboratory. Some
detectors operate using an "ionization" sensor while others use a
"photo-electric" sensor. An ionization detector uses an extremely
small quantity of radio-active material to make the air in the detector chamber
conduct electricity. Smoke from a fire interferes with the electrical current
and triggers the alarm. A photoelectric detector uses a tiny light source
shining on a light sensitive sensor. The alarm is triggered when smoke from a
fire interferes with the light. All tested and labeled smoke detectors offer
adequate protection if they are properly installed and maintained.
A recent NFPA report on smoke detectors found
that there is a substantial number of households that do not have the devices on
every level of the home, as needed. The majority of fire deaths occur at night
when people are asleep. NFPA's National Fire Alarm Code (NFPA 72) says homes
must have smoke detectors on every level of the home including the basement and
outside each sleeping area. New homes are required to have a smoke detector in
each sleeping area as well.
To slow the spread of smoke and fumes if a
fire develops, NFPA suggests that you sleep with your bedroom doors closed. If
you sleep with your bedroom doors closed, install a smoke detector inside each
bedroom. Detectors should also be installed in other areas of your home where
people sleep. In new homes, the National Fire Alarm Code requires hard-wired
detectors to be interconnected, so that if one detector is activated, all
detectors will sound the alarm signal. On floors without bedrooms, smoke
detectors should be installed in or near living areas, such as family rooms and
living rooms.
Detectors that are hard-wired into the home
electrical system should be installed by a qualified electrician. If your
detector plugs into a wall socket, make sure it has a restraining device to keep
its plug from being pulled out. Never connect a detector to a circuit that could
be turned off at a wall switch. Most detectors are battery-powered and can be
installed with a screwdriver and drill and by following the manufacturer's
instructions.
Since smoke and deadly gases rise, detectors
should be placed on the ceiling at least 4 inches from the nearest wall, or high
on a wall, 4-12 inches from the ceiling. This 4-inch minimum is important to
keep detectors out of possible "dead air" spaces, because hot air is
turbulent and may bounce so much it misses spots near a surface. Installing
detectors near a window, door or fireplace is not recommended because drafts
could detour smoke away from the unit. In rooms where the ceiling has an
extremely high point, such as in vaulted ceilings, mount the detector at or near
the ceiling's highest point.
What good are smoke detectors that don't work?
No good at all! That's why it is imperative that you keep your smoke detectors
fit and in good shape. It's easy. Maintain your smoke detectors by:
Whether your detectors are hard-wired or
battery operated, NFPA recommends testing them once a month to make sure they
are operating. A working smoke detector greatly reduces your chances of dying in
a home fire. Testing is the only way to ensure they are working to protect you.
Test each detector by pushing the test button and listening for the alarm. If
you can't reach, stand under the detector and push the test button with a broom
handle.
If your smoke detectors are battery operated,
replace their batteries according to the manufacturer's instructions. NFPA
recommends doing this at least once a year or when the detector chirps, alerting
you that the battery power is low. Replace the batteries immediately if you move
into a new home. Make sure no one disables your smoke detectors by borrowing
batteries for other uses. Everyone you live with should understand how critical
it is to have working smoke detectors.
Just as you clean your home, your smoke
detectors need to be cleaned. Make sure you follow the manufacturer's
instructions about cleaning. Cobwebs and dust usually can be removed with a
vacuum cleaner attachment. If you are going to be doing work nearby that could
send dust in the air, cover the detector with a shield. Also, shield the
detector if you are painting around it, and never paint on it. Remove the shield
promptly after work is completed.
Regularly cleaning your smoke detectors and
following the manufacturer's instructions may help stop "nuisance" or
false alarms. If this doesn't stop them, install a fresh battery in the
detectors giving nuisance alarms. Evaluate where your detectors are placed if
the problem still persists. Cooking vapors and steam can set off a smoke
detector. If the detector is near the kitchen or bathroom, try moving it farther
away. If nuisance alarms continue, install a new smoke detector.
Fire protection in the home must start with
smoke detectors. There are many other kinds of detectors which may be designed
to detect such factors as high temperatures, rapid changes in temperature, and
certain gases produced in fires. However, these detectors are not as effective
as smoke detectors in giving the first warning when a fire breaks out. NFPA does
not require heat detectors in homes, however, they may be used for optional
extra protection in areas like kitchens, attics, and garages, where smoke
detectors are susceptible to nuisance alarms.
Tests performed on the speed of warning given
by smoke detectors and heat detectors for many types of typical home fires
showed smoke detectors consistently give first warning- often by enough of a
margin to make a major difference in your chances of escaping alive. Smoke and
deadly gas spread farther and faster than heat.
Contrary to popular belief, the smell of smoke
may not wake a sleeping person. Instead, the poisonous gases and smoke produced
by a fire can numb the senses and put one into a deeper sleep.
A battery-operated smoke detector for the home
retails for less than $10. Smoke detectors with extra features can cost up to
$25. Batteries cost $1 to $2, depending on the brand. A smoke detector for a
typical hard-wired system costs $14-$18. Smoke detectors for people with hearing
impairments cost approximately $100 each. In 1994, home fires caused $481,000
in damage every hour.
Now that you know the importance of
installing and maintaining smoke detectors in your home, "Let's Hear it for
Fire Safety: Test Your Detectors!" during Fire Prevention Week and every
month.
If you have any Questions Please give us a call at 704-484-4841 or contact your local Fire Department.