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Home Smoke Detectors
Smoke Detectors Save Lives!
The majority of fatal home fires happen at night when people are asleep. Contrary to popular belief, the smell of smoke may not wake a sleeping person. Inexpensive household smoke detectors sound an alarm, alerting you to a fire. By giving you time to escape, smoke detectors increase the chance of surviving a home fire by almost 50%.
Choosing a Detector
Dozens of brands of smoke detectors are for sale in hardware, department, and discount stores. Be sure that the smoke detectors you buy bear the label of an independent testing laboratory, such as UL. Several types of detectors are available. Some run on batteries, others on household current. Some detect smoke using an "ionization" sensor, others use a "photoelectric" detection system. All approved smoke detectors, regardless of type, will offer adequate protection provided they are installed and maintained properly.
Is One Enough?
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), minimum protection requires a smoke detector outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement. On floors without bedrooms, detectors should be installed in or near living areas such as dens, living rooms, or family rooms.
Ensure everyone sleeping in your home can hear your smoke detectors' alarms even with bedroom doors closed. If not, or if any residents are hearing-impaired, install additional detectors inside bedrooms. For the hearing impaired, there are smoke detectors that flash a strobe light in addition to sounding an audible alarm. For extra protection, the National Fire Protection Association suggests installing additional detectors in dining rooms, furnace rooms, utility rooms, and hallways. Smoke detectors are not recommended for kitchens, bathrooms, or garages where cooking fumes, steam, or exhaust could set off false alarms, or for attics and other unheated spaces where humidity and temperature changes might affect a detectors' operation.
Installation Locations
Because smoke rises, mount detectors high on a wall or on the ceiling. Wall mounted units should be hung 4 to 12 inches (10 to 30 cm) from the ceiling. A ceiling mounted detector should be attached at least 4 inches (10 cm) from the nearest wall. In rooms with pitched ceilings, mount the detector at or near the ceiling's highest point. In stairways with no doors at the top or bottom, position smoke detectors anywhere in the path of smoke moving up the stairs. But always position smoke detectors at the bottom of closed stairways, such as those leading to the basement, because dead air trapped near the door at the top of a stairway could prevent smoke from reaching the detector. Don't install a smoke detector too near a window, door, or forced air register where drafts could interfere with the unit's operation.
Installation Instructions
Most battery powered smoke detectors, as well as units that plug into wall outlets, can be installed-following manufacturer's instructions-using only a drill and screwdriver. Plug-in detectors require restraining devices so they cannot be disconnected accidentally from their outlets. Detectors can also be hard wired into a building's electrical system. Never connect a smoke detector to a circuit that can be turned off at a wall switch, unless it is provided with a rechargeable battery, and it is specifically designed for such use.
Maintenance
Remember, only a functioning smoke detector can protect you. Never disable a detector by borrowing its batteries for another use. Following manufacturer's instructions, test all of your smoke detectors monthly and install new batteries at least once per year. Many battery powered units "chirp" or give some other audible signal when their batteries need to be replaced. Clean your smoke detectors regularly, as dust and cobwebs can reduce a detector's sensitivity to smoke.
When the Detector Sounds
Ensure your entire household is familiar with the sound of the detector's alarm. Plan escape routes. Know at least two ways out of each room. Agree on a meeting place outside your home where all residents will gather after they escape. Practice your escape plan at least twice per year, and teach every member of your household these survival techniques.
If you must escape through an area with smoke, crawl to the nearest safe exit on your hands and knees. Because smoke and poisonous gases rise, keep your head 12 to 24 inches (30 to 60 cm) above the floor. Stop, drop, and roll, if your clothes catch fire - drop to the ground, cover your face with your hands, and roll over and over to smother the flames. When an alarm sounds, leave the building immediately and go to your meeting place. Then call the fire department from a neighbor's phone. Once you're out, stay out. Never return to a burning building.