DO You Have Fire/Smoke Alarms In Your Home?
5/3/2019 (Permalink)
The quantity of smoke/fire alarms required in a home depends on the size and layout of your home. You can ask your friends and neighbors for an opinion, but the answers will all be different; however, the National Fire Protective Association recommends fire alarm placement:
- In every bedroom
- Outside the sleeping areas on all bedroom levels
- On all levels of the home including the basement
- At the bottom of stairways, including the basement stairs
Ionization smoke alarms are best at detecting hot, fast-moving fires. Photoelectric smoke alarms are best at detecting slow-burning smoky fires. If both are available, get some of each and take advantage of both technologies. If a fire alarm with both sensors is available in your area install those throughout your home.
Should My Smoke Detectors Be Connected? Connecting smoke detectors is always a good idea. If there is a fire in your home, you want to know about it right away. Early notification of a fire minimizes fire and smoke damage. You don’t want to wait until a closer detector senses the problem and sounds an alarm.
How Long Does a Smoke Alarm Last? Every smoke alarm has the manufacture date stamped on the back. When ten years from that date has passed, you should replace that unit. If the manufacturer suggests a shorter replacement interval, follow those instructions.
When Should I Replace the Batteries? It’s always good to replace batteries on a regular schedule. A good timeframe is when the time changes in our area, like Daylight Savings Time. However, if you are the type of person that only responds to the low-battery beep, change all of your alarms in your home immediately.
A fire alarm is an essential safety device in your home. It has a long service life, requires little attention and saves lives. It can keep your family safe and minimizes fire damage in your home. Take comfort in the fact that, if you do have a fire, SERVPRO of Greeley/Windsor is the fire remediation experts in our area. We have been trained to bring your lives and your home back to normal quickly.