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. The poisonous gases and smoke produced by a fire can numb the
senses and put you into a deeper sleep.
Inexpensive household smoke detectors sound an alarm, alerting you to a fire. By giving you time to escape
smoke detectors cut your risk of dying in a home fire nearly in half. Smoke detectors save so many lives that
most states have laws requiring them in private homes.
Be sure that the smoke detectors you buy carry the label of an independent testing laboratory. Several
types of detectors are available. Some run on batteries, others on household current. Some detect smoke by
using an "ionization" sensor, others use a "photoelectric" detection system. All approved smoke detectors,
regardless of the type, will offer adequate protection provided they are installed and maintained properly.
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Every home should have a smoke detector outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home,
including the basement. The National Fire Alarm Code, developed by the NFPA, requires a smoke detector in
each sleeping room for a new construction. On floors without bedrooms, detectors should be installed in or
near living areas, such as dens, living rooms, or family rooms.
Be sure everyone sleeping in your home can hear your smoke detectors' alarm. If any residents are
hearing-impaired or sleep with bedroom doors closed, install additional detectors inside sleeping areas
as well. There are special smoke detectors for the hearing -impaired; these flash a light in addition to
sounding an audible alarm.
For extra protection, NFPA suggests installing 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.
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Because smoke rises, mount detectors high on the wall or on the ceiling. Wall-mounted units should be
mounted so that the top of the detector is 4 to 12 inches from the ceiling. A ceiling-mounted detector
should be attached at least 4 inches from the nearest wall. In a room with a pitched ceiling, mount the
detector at or near the ceilings 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 a detector located at the top.
Possible Installation Schemas
Don't install a smoke detector too near a window, door, or forced-air register where drafts could interfere
with the detectors operation.
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Most battery-powered smoke detectors and detectors that plug into wall outlets can be installed using only
a drill and screwdriver, by following the manufacturers instructions. Plug in detectors must have restraining
devices so that they cannot be unplugged by accident. Detectors can also be hard-wired into the building
electrical system. hard-wired detectors should be installed by a qualified electrician. Never connect a
smoke detector to a circuit that can be turned off by a wall switch.
If "nuisance alarms" persist, do not disable the detector, replace the detector instead.
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Only a functioning smoke detector can protect you.
Never disable a detector by "borrowing" its battery for another use.
Following manufacturer's instructions, test all your smoke detectors monthly and install new batteries
at least once a year. A good reminder is when you change your clocks in the spring or fall: change your
clock, change your battery.
Clean you smoke detectors using a vacuum cleaner without removing the detectors cover.
Never paint a smoke detector.
Smoke detectors don't last forever. Replace any smoke detector that is more that 10 years old.
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Courtesy of Clay Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department
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