08/26/2017
Four Things You Need to Know About Smoke Detectors
Here are four important things I tell my customers about smoke detectors:
1) Replace smoke detectors every 10 years. Old smoke detectors may not trip due to dust build-up, or they may trip easily, causing frequent false alarms.
2) You can test the effectiveness of your smoke detectors with actual smoke, such as from a stick of incense, or with “canned smoke” in an aerosol can. Spray it in the direction of the detector until it trips. But be aware that every test of a detector with real or artificial smoke reduces the effective life of the detector.
3) Smoke detectors should be interconnected. When one is tripped in one part of the house, they all should sound, especially in a large house. If a fire starts when no one is home, smoke detectors connected to a monitored system will bring the fire department long before neighbors see evidence of trouble.
4) Current national standards require new construction homes to include a smoke detector inside every sleeping room, a smoke detector outside sleeping areas (for example, in a hallway) and at least one on each level of the structure. Detectors should be installed not more than 12 inches away from the ceiling or less than 8 inches from a corner (either ceiling or wall).
Get more tips on smoke alarms from the National Fire Protection Association: http://www.nfpa.org/public-education/by-topic/smoke-alarms
Visit NFPA's "Smoke Alarm Central" for the latest information. NFPA says that properly installed and maintained smoke alarms play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries. Working smoke alarms cuts the chances of dying in a reported fire in half.
