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| 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.
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| Still a Major Problem |
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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.
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| Working Smoke Detectors
Save Lives |
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| 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 " photoelectric" sensor. An ionization
detector uses an extremely small quantity of radioactive
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.
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| Make Placement a Priority |
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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.
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"Let's Hear it for Fire Safety"
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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.
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| Maintenance is a Must |
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| 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:
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| "Test Your Detectors!" |
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- Testing
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.
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Replacing Batteries
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.
One way to make sure that you change the batteries of your smoke detectors on a regular basis is to adopt this
simple, potentially live-saving habit of "CHANGE
YOUR CLOCK - CHANGE YOUR BATTERIES".
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.
- Cleaning
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.
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| Dealing with Nuisance
Alarms |
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| 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.
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| No Substitute for Smoke
Detectors |
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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.
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| Smoke Detectors Are
Cost-Effective |
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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.
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