Smoke Alarms – They Could Save Your Life

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In 2007, there were an estimated 399,000 reported home structure fires and 2,865 associated civilian deaths in the United States. Fire can spread quickly through your home, leaving you little time to escape safely once the alarm sounds. Your ability to get out depends on advance warning from properly installed and maintained smoke alarms.  Smoke alarms are one of the best things you can buy and install to protect your family and home.  The following are a few things to know about smoke alarms.
Smoke alarms should be placed on every level of your home.  Do not forget the basement.  For extra safety, install smoke alarms inside your bedroom as well as outside the room as many fire fatalities occur when people are sleeping.

It is important to make sure your alarms are in good working order.  If they beep at you then it means their batteries need to be replaced.   Please follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using long-lasting batteries as you will probably be replacing the entire unit.    A general rule is that a standard alarm’s batteries need to be replaced every year while with long lasting batteries the whole unit needs to be replaced every 8-10 years.  In a hard-wired smoke alarm, the batteries need checking monthly, replaced at least once per year, and the entire unit replaced every 8-10 years.

There are two types of smoke alarms.  Ionization alarms are designed to sound quickest when a fast moving fire occurs.  Photoelectric alarms are designed to detect quickest for smoldering smoky fires.    A duel sensor smoke alarms combines both ionization and photoelectric alarms in one unit.  There are also smoke alarms for people with hearing disabilities that provide a stroke light that goes off as well as vibrates.

Besides having workable smoke detectors for your home, you should also install carbon monoxide detectors, consider installing residential fire sprinklers, make sure your whole family knows when and how to call emergency telephone numbers, and also be sure and plan and practice escape plans several times a year.

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