Smoke Detector Safety Tips

Posted on: July 19, 2016
By: Alan O'Neill
Posted in: Electrician

Smoke Detector Safety Tips & Installation
Houston, TX

You may be well aware that home fires are dangerous and can be fatal if you aren’t ready. Unfortunately, you may not always be able to see a fire when it starts. You may not even see it until after it’s done leaving devastating amounts of damage to your home.

Smoke Detectors installation is very important.

Smoke Alarm Safety at Home

Smoke alarms are an important part of a home fire escape plan. When there is a fire, smoke spreads fast. Working smoke alarms give you an early warning so you can get outside quickly. There are some safety tips about smoke alarm.

• INSTALL smoke alarms inside every bedroom, (if bedroom doors are closed) and outside each sleeping area (if bedroom doors are open) and on every level of the home, including the basement.
• Larger homes may need ADDITIONAL smoke alarms to provide enough protection. 
• An IONIZATION smoke alarm is generally more responsive to flaming fires and a PHOTOELECTRIC smoke alarm is generally more responsive to smoldering fires.

• For the best protection, install a “Dual Sensor Smoke Alarm” which incorporates the features of both. 

• Smoke and harmful gases rise, by installing a smoke alarm on a ceiling or high on a wall you will be provided with the earliest warning possible. 

• REPLACE batteries in all smoke alarms at least once a year. If an alarm “chirps,” warning the battery is low, replace that battery right away. 

• A good rule of thumb is to change a smoke alarms battery when we change the clocks in the spring or fall. 

• REPLACE batteries in all smoke alarms at least once a year. If an alarm “chirps,” warning the battery is low, replace that battery right away. 

• A good rule of thumb is to change a smoke alarms battery when we change the clocks in the spring or fall. 

• REPLACE all smoke alarms when they are 8 to 10 years old or sooner if they do not respond properly when tested. 

• FIRE WARNING EQUIPMENT is available to awaken people who are deaf or hard of hearing. This equipment uses strobe lights and vibration equipment (pillow or bed shakers) for people who are deaf and mixed-low-frequency signals for people who are hard of hearing. Some of this equipment is activated by the sound of the smoke alarm. 

• Teach children what a smoke alarm sounds like and what to do if they hear the alarm sound. 

• RENTERS should discuss with the landlord if their rental unit is equipped with a working smoke alarm and who will replace the battery annually. 

• DISABLING A SMOKE ALARM or REMOVING THE BATTERY COULD BE A COSTLY MISTAKE!!!

Where Do We Need To Place Our Smoke Detectors?

Because detector placement is critical to early warning functions, smoke detectors should be installed in all areas of the protected premises. Total coverage as defined by NFPA 72 should include all rooms, halls, storage areas, basements, attics, lofts, and spaces above suspended ceilings including plenum areas utilized as part of the HVAC system. In addition, coverage should include all closets, elevator shafts, enclosed stairways, dumbwaiter shafts, chutes, and other subdivisions and accessible spaces. Call us (713) 812-7070 for your home services and repair needs.

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