Are Your Smoke Detectors Working?

By theadmin

Some 3,500 Americans died in house fires in 2012. According to the National Fire Protection Associations, two-thirds of those deaths resulted from blazes in homes without a working smoke detector. Dead batteries remain the biggest culprit.

Follow this guide to choosing, installing, maintaining, and testing your smoke detectors to ensure the safety of your home.

Which Type to Get

According to the National Fire Protection Association, these are the two most common types of residential smoke detectors:

Ionization. These are generally more responsive to flaming fires. They are less expensive and may be prone to false alarms. Around 90 percent of household smoke alarms are the ionization kind.
Photoelectric. These work better for smoldering fires, or fires that take a while to start. Photoelectric alarms generally cost more but are far more effective in detecting deadly smoke.

Don Russell, Ph.D., an engineering professor at Texas A&M University who has performed hundreds of tests on smoke detectors, recommends photoelectric smoke detectors. In one recent study he conducted, a photoelectric smoke detector went off a full 21 minutes before its ionization counterpart.

“If you were going to pick a single smoke detector to put in your home, pick a photoelectric detector,” he says.

The International Association of Fire Fighters also recommends upgrading to photoelectric units. “Using better smoke detectors will drastically reduce the loss of life among firefighters and citizens because it will mean earlier detection of fires and result in faster response by emergency crews,” says Harold A. Schaitberger, the general president of the organization.

How to Maintain

The National Fire Prevention Association recommends:

Testing smoke detectors once a week.
Removing dust from smoke detectors once a month.
Changing the batteries every six months, and whenever it starts to chirp or act up.
Replacing alarms every 10 years.

Where to Install

How many smoke detectors you have and where they’re positioned in your home can literally prove a life or death decision.

Install alarms on every level of the home and inside every bedroom.
Situate some alarms high on walls because smoke rises.
In the case of a pitched ceiling, position alarms near the highest point.
Avoid installing smoke detectors near windows, doors, or ducts, as drafts could interfere with how well they operate.
Never paint, put stickers on, or otherwise decorate smoke detectors; it might affect its ability to sense fire and smoke.

When to Check Your Batteries

“A good rule of thumb is to check the batteries when you turn your clocks ahead in the spring and then change the batteries when you turn your clocks back in the fall,” says El Paso Fire Department Battalion Chief Sam Pena.

“And if your smoke detector seems to have more than its share of unfounded false alarms, replace it,” Pena adds.

Today, you can buy 10-year batteries that fit most smoke alarms, but fire experts warn against putting these in older detectors because they don’t work as well.

Powering Up

The U.S. Fire Association recommends the following measures for different systems:

If powered by a 9-volt battery:

Test the alarm monthly.
Replace the batteries at least once a year.
Replace the entire unit every 8 to 10 years.

If powered by a 10-year lithium battery:

Test the alarm monthly.
Since you cannot (and should not) replace the lithium battery, replace the entire unit according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

If hardwired into the home’s electrical system:

Test the alarm monthly.
Replace the backup battery at least once a year.
Replace the entire unit every 8 to 10 years.

For more fire safety tips, check out our family fire emergency plan and fire extinguisher guide.