HISTORY

SMOKE DETECTORS

"SMOKE DETECTORS SAVE LIVES". You have heard this time and time again,  yet each year hundreds of adults and children continue to needlessly die in fires. A smoke detector is your first line of defense against a fire but their is more to it than just having one. Smoke detectors must be installed properly and maintained. This page  will hopefully help you understand where to place smoke detectors, how to maintain them and to give you a better understanding of why it is so important to have smoke detectors in your house or apartment.

Every thing in your home is "pure poison" when it burns. Our homes are filled with plastics ( TVs',computers', VCRs', plastic bowls, utensils, plumbing,etc.) carpet, paneling ,flooring and other laminates  that are held together with glues. Our furniture is filled with foam products and other man made products that are extremely harmful when they burn.

Many of the poisons found in smoke are very,very dangerous. 1 or 2 breathes is all that is needed to render someone unconscious or cause instant DEATH. Poisons like Carbon Monoxide will put you into a deep sleep and will eventually kill you.You will never smell the smoke and wake up on your own.

So what can  you do?  

You must have PROPERLY INSTALLED and OPERATING smoke detectors. One of the first questions usually asked is "How many detectors do I need". There is no hard and fast rule as to the actual number but more is better. There are however a few guidelines or rules to help determine the number of smoke detectors needed.

        1. You need "at least" 1 on every level of your home. This is the absolute minimum and we recommend more.

        2. Place 1 detector in the hallway out side your bedrooms.

        3. Place 1 detector IN EACH BEDROOM. ( you also should sleep with your door closed at night while you are sleeping) Take a look around your bedroom and your child's bedroom. Do you see a TV, VCR , computer, stereo, lamps, video games, etc.. We have taken our family room and living rooms and put them in the bedroom. You absolutely must have a smoke detector in each bedroom.

        4. Do not put a smoke detector in the kitchen, instead put 1 in the room or rooms next to the kitchen. A detector in the Kitchen will become a nuisance. It will go off when cooking ,sometimes even if you don't burn anything. So no smoke detector in the kitchen.

        5. A smoke detector in the living room and family room also is a good idea.

So while there is no "set number " of detectors, if you follow the above guidelines this should help you to determine the correct number of smoke detectors needed in your home. Remember it is always better to have too many than not enough.

So now that you know the proper number and which rooms to put them in, lets look at how and where to install them in the room.

        1. Place detectors high on the wall or place on the ceiling.

        2. Avoid putting detectors in   corners. The areas where the walls meet or the ceiling and wall meet are dead air spaces. Air does not flow freely into the corners. 

        3. Avoid placing detectors near ceiling fans or air ducts. These can push smoke away from the detector and delay activation.

        4. Avoid putting detectors on uninsulated exterior walls in your home.

        5. If you place a detector in the hallway be sure it is not too close to the bathroom. If it is too close it may be activated by the steam from your bath or showers. If you must have one near the bathroom try to keep it a few feet away from the door.

Now we need to talk about maintenance. It is not just enough to place the detectors in the right spot but they also must be maintained properly.

        1. Test your detector once a month. to help you remember find a calendar and pick 1 day a month to do this. For example, lets say you decide on the first Saturday of the month. Take your calendar and write "TEST DETECTOR" on the first Saturday of each month. That way when you tear of the sheet or flip it over you will see your "reminder".

        2.Change your batteries every 6 months. A good way to remember when to change your battery is to "CHANGE YOUR BATTERY WHEN YOU CHANGE YOUR CLOCK". When we move our clocks back in the fall be sure to change your battery and install a new battery again in the spring when the clocks are moved up.

        3. Clean your detector once a month. A smoke detector is really not very smart. It can not tell the difference between smoke or dust or a bug or a spider web, etc. All of these things will activate your smoke detector, that is why you need to keep it clean and free from dust. If your detector keeps going off and you are sure there is no fire chances are it needs to be cleaned or the battery is weak and needs to be replaced.

        4. Smoke detectors need to be replaced every 7 to 10 years. It is a good idea to use a permanent marker and write the purchase date on the inside of the detector.