| - Install a smoke detector
outside of each bedroom in your home. - Keep your bedroom doors closed while you sleep. - Keep your smoke detectors properly maintained.
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- Test each and every
smoke detector in your house once a month. - Change the battery in your smoke detector when you change your clocks. - Clean your smoke detectors once a year with a vacuum cleaner.
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| Why should my
home have smoke detectors? A smoke detector can save your live and the lives of loved ones in an event of a fire. They provide an early warning signal in the event of a fire. Smoke detectors are the single most important means of preventing fatalities in a house or apartment fire. Smoke detectors are the simples way of protecting yourself and loved ones in case of fire. |
What if my
smoke detector goes off while I am cooking? If it goes off while you are cooking, it is doing what it is built to do. DO NOT disable your smoke detector by taking the battery out or taking it off the wall or ceiling if it sounds due to cooking or non-fire causes. You could forget to put the batteries back in your smoke detector. To stop the sounding of your alarm, clear the air by waving a towel near the detector, leaving the batteries in place to stop the alarm.
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| Where do I
put them? You should install a smoke detector on every level of your home, including the basement and the attic. To be extra safe install one outside and inside sleeping areas. Fires most often occur late at night or in the early morning. Since smoke travels up, smoke detectors should be installed on the ceiling or above eye level. Be sure to always fallow the manufacturer's installation instructions.
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How long will
my smoke detector last? Your smoke detectors will last about 8 to 10 years. After 8-10 years they should be replaced. Smoke detectors do wear out like most electrical devices. Write the purchase date with a marker on the inside of your unit so you will know when to replace it. Be sure to always fallow the manufacturer's instructions for replacement. |
| Where can I get a smoke detector? You can get a smoke detector at many hardware stores, home supply stores, or general merchandise stores. |
How Many Smoke
Detectors Do I Need?
NFPA recommends that you have one smoke detector on every level of your house,
as well as one near all of the sleeping areas in your home. For example, if your
sleeping areas are nestled together in a wing of the house, one smoke detector
in the hallway would probably sound loud enough to awaken anyone sleeping.
However, if your sleeping areas are on separate ends of the hallway, you will
want to invest in a second smoke detector to protect that separate bedroom.
The best way to make sure that you have enough smoke detectors is to listen to them yourself. If there are any areas in the house where the sound from an activated smoke detector is faint, muffled, or difficult to hear, or if anyone in your family does not wake up when a smoke detector sounds, you probably need additional smoke detectors.
Remember, even a working smoke detector can't get you out of danger's way -- be sure that you have and practice a home escape plan!
Where Should I Put Up
Smoke Detectors In My House?
Your smoke detector should be positioned in your house ideally on the ceiling,
or on the wall, between 4-6 inches away from the ceiling-wall intersection.
Install your smoke detector
 | On the ceiling, at least six inches away from the wall.
A fire can often "trap" pockets of air where the wall and the
ceiling meet -- smoke might never reach the smoke detector in this
"dead air space"
| 20 feet away from "sources of combustion
particles" (stoves, furnace, water heater).
| Away from the kitchen. A smoke detector too close to
the kitchen might frequently signal false alarms.
| 10 feet away from bathrooms or other damp, humid areas.
The steam can often set off false alarms.
| In areas where the temperature is between 40 degrees Fahrenheit
and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Colder or warmer temperatures (like the
temperatures in an attic) might set off false alarms and also shorten the
life of the smoke detector's battery.
| If the ceilings are sloped, peaked, or gabled -- 3 feet
from the highest point of the ceiling.
| Where the manufacturer recommends its placement. Read
the instructions to be sure that you are placing the unit in the absolute
best location. | |
Do not install your smoke detector:
| In dusty, dirty, or greasy areas.
| Near air vents, ceiling fans, or other drafty areas.
Drafts can blow the smoke away from the smoke detector, preventing the smoke
detector from sounding. | |
Should I Use Battery or
Electric Smoke Detectors?
Both electric smoke detectors and battery-powered smoke detectors have benefits
and drawbacks. Battery powered smoke detectors must have regular maintenance,
including frequent testing and battery replacement. However, they are easy to
install and relatively inexpensive. Electric smoke detectors are much easier
maintenance-wise, but must be hard-wired into your house. The NFPA also
recommends that you select an electric smoke detector that has a battery
back-up; in rare cases, an electrical fire, or a power outage has been known to
short out an electric smoke detector, silencing the alarm.
Why Is My Smoke
Detector Chirping?
If you hear a faint "chirping" or "beeping" noise
approximately every 30 seconds, your smoke detector is probably trying to tell
you something: It's hungry! Some smoke detectors are built to sound a warning
alarm when the battery power begins to run low. By chirping, the smoke detector
is trying to get your attention and convince you to put a new battery inside it.
Of course, if you properly maintain your smoke detector, you probably won't hear this type of chirping.
How Do I Test My Smoke
Detector?
Your smoke detector's manual should give you detailed instructions on how to
test your smoke detector. Usually, this is done by pressing a button in the
center of the smoke detector. If you press this button down for a few seconds
and it beeps, then the battery should still be working. If the smoke detector
does not beep, then replace the battery and test again.
Are There Smoke
Detectors for the Hearing Impaired?
People who are hard-of-hearing also need the protection that smoke detectors
provide. Smoke detectors for the hearing impaired are smoke detectors that have
a strong strobe light attached to the circuitry. When the smoke detector sense
the smoke, the strobe light begins blinking.
If you are installing one of these smoke detectors, follow the instructions on where to locate this detector. You might want to install the smoke detector inside the appropriate bedroom, rather than in the hallway, so that the light will be stronger when anyone is at their most vulnerable: when they are asleep. Also, you might need more than one hearing-impaired smoke detector for the home.
Remember, too, that you'll need a hearing-impaired smoke detector when you are sleeping away from home. Hotels and motels usually have hearing-impaired smoke detectors available upon request.
Why Won't My Smoke Detector
Let Me Cook?
(and Other Problems with False Alarms.)
If you frequently have false alarms while you are cooking, your smoke detector isn't hinting to you that your cooking is bad. The most common cause for frequent false alarms is a bad placement of the smoke detector. Photo electric smoke detectors are designed to alarm when ever a small amount of "unclear" air passes through its sensors; it cannot tell the difference between thick acrid smoke, dusty air from the workroom, or steam from the bathroom.
Moving your smoke detectors to a better location -- away from the kitchen, or bathroom, or a dusty area -- and a good cleaning of the smoke detector will usually solve the problem.