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I recently got a set of smoke alarms for review purposes. In
the process of installing them and writing them up, I ended up learning
more about smoke alarms in general, and thought it worth passing it on.
If you haven't taken a look at smoke alarms lately, there's a lot you
really need to know.
BASICS
If you don't currently have any smoke alarms where you live, get some! The warning they give can save your life. The classic scenario, of a fire starting while people are sleeping? All too often, if a room is filling with smoke, it's not going to wake you up in time to escape. Smoke alone can kill; add in heated air and toxic fumes and it gets far worse. Even if you do wake in time, you would not believe how quickly smoke can fill a room with smoke too thick to see through. The earlier the warning you have, the better!
Okay - you have smoke alarms in place. When was the last time you tested them? When was the last time you changed the batteries? (And if you rent or lease, does the property owner take care of them?) Constant vigilance! Assuming they work, do you have escape routes planned out for your home? (Or your workplace?) It's not something you want to be figuring out in a room, crawling on the floor with the smoke too thick to see anything. (Here's a tool to make it easy.)
So far, so good - or is it? It turns out there are more things you need to know about smoke detectors if you really want to do everything you can to be safe. Old batteries are not the only thing you have to worry about; smoke detectors can become ineffective as they age; 10 years is considered the point at which replacement should be considered.
Smoke Alarms Are NOT All Alike
Smoke detectors work in different ways. Most smoke detectors are ionization type. They're relatively easy to manufacture and inexpensive. But, they may not work as quickly as would be desirable for some kinds of fires. A different technology uses photoelectric sensors to detect smoke, and that can make a difference depending on what kind of fire is breaking out.
Do you know what kind of smoke alarms you have? The best choice is to have both types, or you can now buy smoke detectors that combine technologies. This video clip from Dateline has a pretty dramatic demonstration of the differences. NOTE: you'll first have to get through a 30 second commercial and then 2 minutes of intros before it gets to smoke detectors, but it is well worth watching. You will not believe the difference - it's scary.
Do you have children? Have you talked about what to do if they hear a fire alarm go off in your home? Ideally, they should know how to save themselves, and what to do. But, as this additional clip from Dateline shows, your children may actually sleep right through the alarm going off! (Again, you have to get through a short commercial to see the video.)
You need to test your alarms at least once a month. If you have children, you just might want to wait to do a test after they've gone to bed for the night and fallen asleep. You really, really want to know how they'll react! The Dateline clip shows children under 12 may sleep right through a regular alarm - but they'll respond to a spoken alert, especially from a parent.
Choices - Don't Forget the Silent Killer!
I was just in a Big Box store today checking out smoke alarms. They were selling all kinds: ionization, photoelectric, combined - and they had at least one model with a synthesized voice alert. An additional kind of detector you will want to include detects carbon monoxide. A furnace going bad, a blocked chimney, a gas water heater not working right, all of these can fill a house with carbon monoxide. It's a colorless, odorless gas they call the silent killer. You may not have smoke or flame - but you can still have carbon monoxide. Again, some of the combined alarms now include carbon monoxide detection along with smoke detection. Here's the CPSC site with more information.
With the recent spate of extreme weather, many people have gotten portable electric generators. Carbon monoxide is a real danger from them - never run them indoors, in a garage or other enclosed space, and don't set them up outside too close to windows or doors where the fumes can get in.
Loss of power may mean loss of heat - and worse problems. Another carbon monoxide danger is from burning charcoal indoors; while it may be smokeless, it's still putting out lots of carbon monoxide. Ditto for bringing in a gas grill to cook on or just for heat - it can be fatal indoors. Camping equipment like backpacking stoves, lanterns? They too can generate carbon monoxide. Without a detector, you'll never know in time.
Being Prepared
The more elaborate the detector, the more it will cost of course. If you don't want to spring for the top end do-it-all models, you can still mix and match different types. You can also get more complete protection by getting detectors that are linked together by wiring, so if one goes off, it sets the others off as well. (They're now starting to offer wireless models.) The advantage of this is, having all of the smoke detectors go off gives you more time to escape if a fire has broken out. While you're doing your monthly alarm check, see how well you can hear the smoke alarms where you live, depending on where you are and where they are. If you can't hear a smoke alarm going off in your basement while you're upstairs sleeping, it's not going to do you a lot of good. That's why having multiple alarms placed in key locations is a good thing.
This Consumer Product Safety Commission pdf gives a good over view of smoke detectors, how they work, where to put them, and what to do if a fire breaks out:
1) A number of people have been driven crazy by frequent false alarms, etc. and some have disabled their smoke detectors. Bad idea! You can now find smoke detectors with buttons or other controls that will let you silence them temporarily - and then they'll reset themselves. (One supposedly will turn off if you just wave your hands at it!) If you're having problems with the alarms going off all the time because of cooking, this might be what you need. If you're still having problems for other reasons, you should really try to figure out why and get it fixed.
2) Carbon Dioxide (CO2) versus Carbon Monoxide (CO). There's some confusion here between the two. CO2 is the heavier gas, and will sink; Carbon Monoxide is about the same as regular air, and it's the one they make detectors for. Best place to locate a carbon monoxide detector or a combined CO-smoke detector? Go by the instructions that come with it. Here's some links discussing this: here, here, and here. NOTE: It appears that carbon monoxide detectors do not last as long as smoke detectors before needing to be replaced. Again, check the instructions that come with it so you'll know.
3) Is it worth having alarms connected together? It's good if it means you get an earlier warning, not so much if you keep getting false alarms. Several commenters pointed out that having an alarm system that can automatically contact emergency services means they'll respond faster - and they'll respond even if there is no one home. But again, that includes false alarms. One of the dirty little secrets of home security systems is that even if they call out for help, that doesn't mean the police or fire departments can respond right away to automated calls. They may be swamped if there are a lot of them in an area generating false alarms. If you have a home security system, make sure you know exactly what kind of fire protection it includes, what kind of detectors it uses, and if it calls for help, can tell the people on the other end if it's a fire, break-in, or some other problem.
4) Several commenters have alarms that also include a light that comes on when the alarm goes off. That's not a bad feature to have if you're suddenly awakened by it in the middle of the night. Several people have noted you can now get detectors with sealed batteries that will last the lifetime of the unit. There are a lot of choices and features out there now - it all comes down to balancing what kind you need, what features you want, and what your budget is.
Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. You hope you never need them, but if you do, you want to make sure you have ones that will work.
BASICS
If you don't currently have any smoke alarms where you live, get some! The warning they give can save your life. The classic scenario, of a fire starting while people are sleeping? All too often, if a room is filling with smoke, it's not going to wake you up in time to escape. Smoke alone can kill; add in heated air and toxic fumes and it gets far worse. Even if you do wake in time, you would not believe how quickly smoke can fill a room with smoke too thick to see through. The earlier the warning you have, the better!
Okay - you have smoke alarms in place. When was the last time you tested them? When was the last time you changed the batteries? (And if you rent or lease, does the property owner take care of them?) Constant vigilance! Assuming they work, do you have escape routes planned out for your home? (Or your workplace?) It's not something you want to be figuring out in a room, crawling on the floor with the smoke too thick to see anything. (Here's a tool to make it easy.)
So far, so good - or is it? It turns out there are more things you need to know about smoke detectors if you really want to do everything you can to be safe. Old batteries are not the only thing you have to worry about; smoke detectors can become ineffective as they age; 10 years is considered the point at which replacement should be considered.
Smoke Alarms Are NOT All Alike
Smoke detectors work in different ways. Most smoke detectors are ionization type. They're relatively easy to manufacture and inexpensive. But, they may not work as quickly as would be desirable for some kinds of fires. A different technology uses photoelectric sensors to detect smoke, and that can make a difference depending on what kind of fire is breaking out.
Do you know what kind of smoke alarms you have? The best choice is to have both types, or you can now buy smoke detectors that combine technologies. This video clip from Dateline has a pretty dramatic demonstration of the differences. NOTE: you'll first have to get through a 30 second commercial and then 2 minutes of intros before it gets to smoke detectors, but it is well worth watching. You will not believe the difference - it's scary.
Do you have children? Have you talked about what to do if they hear a fire alarm go off in your home? Ideally, they should know how to save themselves, and what to do. But, as this additional clip from Dateline shows, your children may actually sleep right through the alarm going off! (Again, you have to get through a short commercial to see the video.)
You need to test your alarms at least once a month. If you have children, you just might want to wait to do a test after they've gone to bed for the night and fallen asleep. You really, really want to know how they'll react! The Dateline clip shows children under 12 may sleep right through a regular alarm - but they'll respond to a spoken alert, especially from a parent.
Choices - Don't Forget the Silent Killer!
I was just in a Big Box store today checking out smoke alarms. They were selling all kinds: ionization, photoelectric, combined - and they had at least one model with a synthesized voice alert. An additional kind of detector you will want to include detects carbon monoxide. A furnace going bad, a blocked chimney, a gas water heater not working right, all of these can fill a house with carbon monoxide. It's a colorless, odorless gas they call the silent killer. You may not have smoke or flame - but you can still have carbon monoxide. Again, some of the combined alarms now include carbon monoxide detection along with smoke detection. Here's the CPSC site with more information.
With the recent spate of extreme weather, many people have gotten portable electric generators. Carbon monoxide is a real danger from them - never run them indoors, in a garage or other enclosed space, and don't set them up outside too close to windows or doors where the fumes can get in.
Loss of power may mean loss of heat - and worse problems. Another carbon monoxide danger is from burning charcoal indoors; while it may be smokeless, it's still putting out lots of carbon monoxide. Ditto for bringing in a gas grill to cook on or just for heat - it can be fatal indoors. Camping equipment like backpacking stoves, lanterns? They too can generate carbon monoxide. Without a detector, you'll never know in time.
Being Prepared
The more elaborate the detector, the more it will cost of course. If you don't want to spring for the top end do-it-all models, you can still mix and match different types. You can also get more complete protection by getting detectors that are linked together by wiring, so if one goes off, it sets the others off as well. (They're now starting to offer wireless models.) The advantage of this is, having all of the smoke detectors go off gives you more time to escape if a fire has broken out. While you're doing your monthly alarm check, see how well you can hear the smoke alarms where you live, depending on where you are and where they are. If you can't hear a smoke alarm going off in your basement while you're upstairs sleeping, it's not going to do you a lot of good. That's why having multiple alarms placed in key locations is a good thing.
This Consumer Product Safety Commission pdf gives a good over view of smoke detectors, how they work, where to put them, and what to do if a fire breaks out:
Smoke Alarm SoundsOne more thing: if you're in the process of buying a home or renovating one, you should definitely consider fire safety systems. What kinds of alarms, where to put them - as long as you've got construction planned, think about adding them in. And if you want to go farther, you might want to think about a home fire sprinkler system. Alarms can save your lives; a sprinkler system can give you more time to escape, make it easier for fire fighters to respond, and reduce overall damage. UPDATE: There's been some good information brought out in comments, so I thought it'd be a good idea to summarize it.
Do not waste any time saving property.
The fire has already developed and the closest smoke alarm has detected the smoke.
Escaping
It may be smoky; getting low may make it easier to breathe and see. Smoke contains toxic gases which can disorient you or, at worst, overcome you.
The time it takes to get out depends on many factors including mobility, helping others, escape route, time of day, smoke, fire, and the location of the fire relative to you.
Exiting the Home
Once you are out of the home, never re-enter the home. ONCE OUT – STAY OUT!
1) A number of people have been driven crazy by frequent false alarms, etc. and some have disabled their smoke detectors. Bad idea! You can now find smoke detectors with buttons or other controls that will let you silence them temporarily - and then they'll reset themselves. (One supposedly will turn off if you just wave your hands at it!) If you're having problems with the alarms going off all the time because of cooking, this might be what you need. If you're still having problems for other reasons, you should really try to figure out why and get it fixed.
2) Carbon Dioxide (CO2) versus Carbon Monoxide (CO). There's some confusion here between the two. CO2 is the heavier gas, and will sink; Carbon Monoxide is about the same as regular air, and it's the one they make detectors for. Best place to locate a carbon monoxide detector or a combined CO-smoke detector? Go by the instructions that come with it. Here's some links discussing this: here, here, and here. NOTE: It appears that carbon monoxide detectors do not last as long as smoke detectors before needing to be replaced. Again, check the instructions that come with it so you'll know.
3) Is it worth having alarms connected together? It's good if it means you get an earlier warning, not so much if you keep getting false alarms. Several commenters pointed out that having an alarm system that can automatically contact emergency services means they'll respond faster - and they'll respond even if there is no one home. But again, that includes false alarms. One of the dirty little secrets of home security systems is that even if they call out for help, that doesn't mean the police or fire departments can respond right away to automated calls. They may be swamped if there are a lot of them in an area generating false alarms. If you have a home security system, make sure you know exactly what kind of fire protection it includes, what kind of detectors it uses, and if it calls for help, can tell the people on the other end if it's a fire, break-in, or some other problem.
4) Several commenters have alarms that also include a light that comes on when the alarm goes off. That's not a bad feature to have if you're suddenly awakened by it in the middle of the night. Several people have noted you can now get detectors with sealed batteries that will last the lifetime of the unit. There are a lot of choices and features out there now - it all comes down to balancing what kind you need, what features you want, and what your budget is.
Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. You hope you never need them, but if you do, you want to make sure you have ones that will work.
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