Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarms: Choose the right devices to keep your home safe

Fires can quickly spread through your home, endangering lives and destroying property. Equally as deadly, but harder to detect, carbon monoxide can leak from fuel-burning appliances that have not received proper maintenance. This puts you and your household at risk for serious illness and, in some cases, death. Protecting yourself and your family against the threat of fire or carbon monoxide poisoning is easy with a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm. These helpful devices can be installed in key areas and alert you to the presence of harmful substances before it's too late. Before you purchase one, consider the following questions:

• What types of alarms are available?
• Where should I place them for maximum effect?
• How often should the batteries be replaced?
• How can I ensure alarms will always operate as they should?
• What special features should I consider?

 

Power, Types of Alarms and Installation Considerations

Installing an alarm in your home provides added safety for you and members of your household, warning you of potential dangers associated with fire and carbon monoxide. Taking a few moments to place a unit in one or more areas of your home can mean the difference between life and death. With a variety of devices to choose from you'll want to find the unit that best meets your needs.

• Smoke alarms warn sleeping family members of the presence of fires for fast evacuation
• Carbon monoxide is a tasteless, colorless, odorless gas that is impossible to detect
• Often referred to as "the silent killer," carbon monoxide can cause a range of health problems, from flu-like symptoms to more serious ailments and even death

 

Power: Many smoke and carbon monoxide alarms rely on batteries for their operation while others are hard-wired directly to your home's electrical system. Hard-wired models run on electricity and feature a battery backup in case of power loss. Alarms that use lithium batteries, which last significantly longer, are also available.

• Battery-powered devices offer easy installation; regular battery replacement is required
• Hard-wired models are powered via your home's electrical system for constant operation
• Choose an electrical model with battery backup for reliable protection even during power outages

 

Smoke Alarms: There are two basic types of devices based upon different smoke detection technologies, photoelectric and ionization. While each type detects smoke and provides the necessary escape time to most residential home fires, the technology each one uses may provide an earlier response to different types of fires. Because you cannot predict what type of fire might occur in your home, experts recommend installing both types of technology in your home. Regardless of the alarm you choose, make sure that it has been listed to the UL standard. Look for the "UL" mark on the packaging, which ensures it has been evaluated and tested to this independent standard. Some insurance policies require that the product be certified by Underwriters Laboratory (UL), an independent product testing company. 

• Photoelectric sensors may detect visible fire particles associated with slow, smoldering fires, like an unattended cigarette burning into a couch, sooner than ionization. Ionization sensing alarms may detect invisible fire particles associated with fast flaming fires, like a cooking fire, sooner than photoelectric. 

Carbon Monoxide Alarms: Carbon monoxide alarms monitor the build up of carbon monoxide levels in your home over time,and sounding an alarm if elevated levels are detected. The majority of carbon monoxide alarms use one of three basic sensor types, electrochemical, colorimetric and metal oxide semiconductor sensors.

• Electrochemical sensors are the most accurate, consume less power and are more efficient and less sensitive to contaminants;

• Colorimetric sensors may take up to 48 hours to reset once they sound;
• Metal oxide semiconductor sensors can be sensitive to other gases, which can cause false alarms; they typically require more energy and need to be hardwired or plugged in.
• Place carbon monoxide alarms at least 15 feet away from oil or gas appliances for more accurate overall readings

 

Installation & Safety Considerations: For both smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, follow the accompanying manufacturer's user guide or instruction sheet to help you install, operate and maintain your devices. Be sure to keep this guide for future reference and hints for proper maintenance and care. The following chart offers added considerations to help you get the most out of your detectors.

 

Installation & Safety Considerations	Smoke Alarms	Carbon Monoxide Alarms
Number of devices per house	At least one per floor*	At least one per household**
Recommended rooms	Inside and outside of every bedroom*	Outside of all sleeping areas**
Additional coverage	Hallways Storage areas Finished attics Basements Stairways Kitchen Area	Bedrooms Each level of your home Long hallways
Placement	On ceiling, in center of room***	On a wall or desk in unobstructed area***
Recommended battery replacement	Twice per year or as recommended by the manufacturer	Twice per year or as recommended by the manufacturer
Test alarm	Monthly	Monthly for hard-wired models Weekly for battery-powered units
Clean unit	Monthly	Monthly
Recommended Alarm Replacement	Every 10 years	Every 5-7 years***

 

* According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
** According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
***Refer to manufacturer instructions

 

Features

 

Power Indicator: Most devices feature indicator lights that blink under normal conditions to show the device is receiving power and working properly.

 

Low-Battery Signal: Some alarms will emit a beep or "chirp" sound when the power is weak to alert you that batteries need to be replaced.

 

Battery Drawer: Some models provide a slide-open or pop-open battery drawer so you can replace batteries without removing the entire unit from the wall or ceiling. Also, some alarms provide a lock feature on the battery drawer to prevent tampering.

 

Missing Battery Tab: Some devices feature special guards or tabs that prevent the device from closing or attaching to the mounting brackets if the battery is missing.

 

Test/Silence Button: This button allows you to test the device to ensure the alarm is working. It also temporarily silences the device in case of a nuisance alarm.

 

Alarms: MUL-listed smoke alarms are required to have an audible signal of 85 decibels. In addition, there are special alarms or attachments available for the hearing impaired with flashing lights and other non-auditory signals. Some alarms are equipped with a voice warning that supplements the traditional beeping pattern. Also, if you travel frequently, you may want a device that notifies someone if the alarm is triggered.

 

Removable cover: Models with removable covers are easier to clean. Too much dust accumulation inside the unit can impact the sensors’ effectiveness.

 

Combo Smoke/Carbon Monoxide Detector: This combination device detects both smoke and carbon monoxide. Many models contain a voice warning as well as an alarm to help identify the danger: fire or CO.  The advantage to these units is that they save space and money, and require you to change and test batteries in one device instead of two.