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Smoke Detectors
Batteries: Replace batteries according to the manufacturers' recommendations or at least twice a year. When you change your Clocks for Daylight Savings Time in the Spring and Fall, change the Batteries in your smoke detectors. Never borrow batteries from smoke detectors for other purposes. Be sure every member of your household, including children, understands the risk of this dangerous but common practice. Never disconnect your detector to avoid nuisance alarms.
More than half of all fatal home fires strike at night when people are asleep. The sooner a sleeping person wakes up and begins to escape, the greater his or her chances are of surviving the fire.
Fire officials consider smoke detectors to be most effective low-cost early warning device available. Years of experience show that installing smoke detectors cuts your risk of dying in a home fire almost in half. A smoke detector is your first line of defense.
What to buy?
No matter where you buy your smoke detectors and regardless of their type or brand name, buy only units bearing the label of an independent testing laboratory. There are several common types of home smoke detectors. Some are powered by batteries; some are designed to be plugged or wired into a household electrical system. Some smoke detectors operate using an "ionization" sensor; others operate on a photoelectric sensor principle. All tested and labeled smoke detectors offer adequate protection.
How many do you need?
Smoke detectors should be installed on every level of your home, including the basement. Install smoke detectors outside each sleeping area. The NFPA recommends that you sleep with bedroom doors closed to slow the spread of smoke and fumes during a fire. If people in your household sleep with the doors closed, install detectors inside sleeping areas as well.
If someone in your household is hearing impaired, you can acquire smoke-detecting systems that produce a flashing-light or vibrating alarm. Read labels to be sure these detectors conform to national standards.
For added protection, you can install smoke detectors in other rooms such as dining rooms, furnace and utility rooms, and hallways. Smoke detectors are not recommended for kitchens, bathrooms, attics, or garages because nuisance alarms caused by cooking fumes, moisture, automobile exhaust, and such are common in these areas.
Sometimes small children don't wake up to the sound of smoke alarms. Test the alarms outside children's bedrooms while the children are asleep to check their response. Consider installing inside children's sleeping areas.
Remember: Most people who die in home fires are not in the room where the fire began. Smoke detectors alert you to developing fires and give you time to escape.
Installation
To install most battery-operated smoke detectors, all you need are a screwdriver and a drill. Follow the manufacturers' installation instructions and be sure your detectors are securely in place.
Some smoke detectors operate on household current. A detector that plugs into an electrical outlet must be installed with a restraining device so that the plug cannot not pulled put by accident. Detectors can also be hard-wired directly into your home's electrical system. Hard-wire installations should be done by a qualified electrician. Never hard-wire a detector into a circuit that can be turned off by a wall switch.
Heat and smoke rise, so all smoke detectors should be installed high on a wall or on the ceiling to detect the first traces of smoke.
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Wall-mounted smoke detectors should be installed so that the top of the detector is 4 to 12 inches from the ceiling.
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Ceiling-mounted detectors should be placed at least 4 inches from any wall.
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If a room has a pitched ceiling, mount the unit at or near the ceiling's highest point.
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When installing a detector in an open stairway, position the detector in the path that smoke would follow up the stairwell.
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Don't install a detector near a window, door, forced-air register, or fireplace, where drafts could detour smoke away from the unit.
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Install basement smoke detectors close to the bottom of the stairs. Don't install a detector at the top of basement steps; dead air trapped near the closed door could prevent smoke from reaching the unit.
Nuisance alarms: If you have problems with nuisance alarms (caused by cooking fumes, for example), do not simply disconnect your smoke detector. Try another location or another model of detector, but keep your home protected. There are detectors on the market that have a "silencer" switch that allows you to shut off nuisance alarms for several minutes. In most cases, fanning the air below a smoke detector will stop nuisance alarms temporarily. Always be sure you understand why a detector is sounding before treating the alarm as a nuisance.
Maintenance
Studies have shown that roughly one-fifth of the tens of millions of smoke detectors installed in homes are not in properly working condition. These poorly maintained units endanger occupants by creating a false sense of security.
Testing: Test your smoke detectors at least once a month, following the manufacturers' instructions for testing. It takes only a moment to test a smoke detector that could save your life. If the test button is beyond your reach, use a broomstick to test it. Never stand on a chair to reach the detector. If your detector does not respond to the recommended test procedure, change its batteries. If it still does not perform, replace it. many battery-operated smoke detectors will "chirp" to warn you that their battery power is too low, but there are other reasons that a smoke detector might malfunction.
Cleaning: clean your smoke detectors at least twice a year, using a vacuum cleaner, to remove cobwebs and dust that can degrade the unit's sensitivity. Never paint any part of a smoke detector.
Replacement: Smoke detectors don't last forever. If your detector is performing erratically or is 10 years old, replace it.
© 1997 National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA
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