Are You Missing the Crucial Smoke Alarm Count That Could Save Your Life?
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But if a home wasn’t built with hardwired alarms, it might be cost-prohibitive to retroactively fit the residence for them. Instead, many opt for battery-operated alarms, which typically have a sealed, 10-year lithium battery. Either type can be interconnected, meaning that an alarm that is activated in one area of the house—the living room, for example—will set off alarms in other areas of the home. In either case, you’ll likely need to buy alarms from the same manufacturer in order to have them working in concert with one another.
Naturally, the best alarm is the one that you buy and install. Either type should be tested monthly. The NFPA also recommends replacing alarms after a fire event or if it sounds a low-battery alert.
| Smoke Alarms vs. Smoke Detectors: What’s the Difference? |
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| While smoke alarms and smoke detectors are terms often used interchangeably, they’re technically different products. According to the NFPA, a smoke alarm has a sensor to pick up smoke or fire particles as well as an audible alarm to warn occupants; a smoke detector only monitors for smoke, leaving the alarm component to another part of a building’s fire monitoring system. While it’s possible a manufacturer might refer to a single smoke alarm with a built-in alert as a smoke detector, the correct term is smoke alarm. |
Smoke Alarm Placement
Smoke alarms can be placed on ceilings or on walls. If placed on a wall, the top of the alarm should be no closer than 12 inches to the ceiling. Avoid areas with drafts from windows or furnace and air conditioning vents. It’s also wise to keep alarms at least 3 feet away from bathroom doors to avoid shower steam and 20 feet away from kitchen appliances, since both can increase the odds of a nuisance alarm. (Photoelectric alarms, which are less sensitive to appliance smoke, or alarms advertised as being cooking smoke-resistant might be able to be installed 10 feet away.)
In many areas, proper installation of a fire alarm goes beyond common sense. Building, fire, and state or local codes often insist on using smoke alarms properly. In New York, for example, it’s state law [PDF] that one- and two-family homes must have alarms installed near sleeping areas.
Can they enforce that? Not exactly, though fire inspectors could theoretically fine a property owner for not adhering to the code. But using the alarms shouldn’t really be a condition of avoiding financial penalties. The devices can save money—many home insurance companies offer discounts for homes equipped with alarms—and there’s a good chance they could help save your life.
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