Smoke Detectors

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) in 2005, there were over 500,000 house fires in the United States that resulted in over 3,000 civilian deaths. With over 15,000 injuries and $9 billion in property damages, the numbers are daunting.

The most common causes of fire reported to the NFPA were kitchen related and closely followed by heating equipment. The two greatest dangers for starting a fire are in every home and are unavoidable in all but the mildest of climates. Because everyone must eat and heat their homes, aside from using the safest heating and cooking equipment and using them properly, there is little that can be done to avoid the risk altogether.

There are things you can do to prevent fire and to reduce your risk of injury or death. First and foremost is to utilize good safety precautions in the kitchen and be certain that all your heating equipment and chimneys are properly maintained. Many fires start every day from something as simple as a hot pad left on a burner or a pan of oil left on a stove that wasn't turned off. Trying to avoid this type of accident is a fundamental part of fire prevention, but unfortunately this is still the leading cause of fire in the United States.

One of the greatest aids to fire safety is the effective use of smoke detectors. To effectively protect your home from the risk of fire, smoke detectors should be installed properly. Once installed, they must be maintained correctly and replaced when necessary. With proper use, smoke detectors can drastically increase your chances of surviving a fire in your home.

With over half of fatalities occurring at night while people are sleeping, it is imperative that people protect themselves against the dangers of sleeping through a fire. Smoke inhalation is the most common actual cause of death, and people often never wake up or know the eminent danger they are faced with. As many as 85% of people who suffered death from fire, lived in homes which either had no smoke detector or had one that was not functioning properly. Sadly, over half these deaths could have been avoided with the proper use of home smoke detectors that were maintained and replaced as needed. Changing batteries regularly and purchasing new smoke detectors at least every ten years are some of the easiest ways to protect your family from the dangers of a fire.

The danger of smoke inhalation is evident and public education programs continue to provide valuable information to consumers; however, there is still a great lack of proper use of smoke detectors when they are present. When smoke detectors are present, they are most often not functional. Some studies estimate as many as one in three home smoke detectors are not functioning properly.

With all this information available, it is astounding that there is not a properly functioning smoke detector in every home in the United States. Where smoke detectors are used and maintained, there may also be a shortage in numbers needed in the home. For proper protection, it is vital to understand how many are needed, where to locate them, and how to maintain and replace them before they fail. The most common cause of failure is lack of batteries or dead batteries, and malfunctioning units that are old or damaged.

There are two types of smoke detectors to consider installing in your home. The two types are ionization and photoelectric, and each detects smoke differently. The differences in methods of detection also make each type better at detecting different kinds of smoke.

Ionization smoke detectors work by using small amounts of radioactive materials that cause the air inside the sensing chamber to become ionized. The sensing chamber then becomes conductive to electric current. Two electrodes are used to pass the current across the sensing chamber. When smoke particles enter the chamber, the flow of electricity is slowed or stopped, causing the alarm to sound. This is the most commonly used type of smoke detector in homes. It is most effective in detecting smoke from flaming fires, and it responds faster than the photoelectric type smoke detector.

If ionization types respond faster, then why even consider photoelectric smoke detectors? These work by emitting a light into the sensing chamber, which is detected by a sensor. When smoke enters, it can be detected by the sensor and the alarm will sound. The advantage to this type of smoke detector is that it is very good at sensing smoldering fires such as a cigarette that has fallen on a couch.

Ideally, both types of smoke detectors should be installed on each level of the home, providing the most protection. With both types installed, they will easily detect hot flaming fires, as well as slow smoldering fires. Ionization smoke detectors are ideal for the kitchen or places where hot flaming fires are likely. Photoelectric smoke detectors are good to use in other areas where smoldering fires may occur.

There are many smoke detectors available that can be installed with batteries, and you may also install them directly into your electric system. The benefits of each type are unique, and you will want to consider which will offer the most protection, as well as ease and cost of installation. Hardwired smoke detectors are wired directly into your electrical system and do not generally need batteries; the ones that use batteries are easier to install, but some require more maintenance.

There are many advantages to installing battery-operated smoke detectors in your home. They are inexpensive and because they just attach to any wall or ceiling you choose, you don't have to worry about locating them near electrical wiring. Installation is generally effortless, with only some drywall screws needed to hang the smoke detector. Others may include an easy to use mounting bracket that is equally easy to install, but may be easier to take the smoke detector down to change the batteries. Battery powered smoke detectors are very easy to install and take very little investment in time or installation costs.

Smoke detectors that are directly wired into the existing electrical system are referred to as hardwired. A hardwired smoke detector may take more time to install; however, they often do not require the time investment for maintaining batteries. You may need to hire an electrician to install them, which could be costly, but you will never have to worry about the smoke detector failing to sound due to dead batteries. There are hardwired models available that also take batteries, so that you are protected in the event of a power outage. Hardwired provides a more consistent result, because the human error factor is removed.

Smoke detectors come with a broad range of features, and it may require some thought as to which is the best choice for each area of your home. With so many choices, it will be beneficial to compare all the features available and choose the smoke detector that will be the most effective in your home environment. Each home is different and therefore what works best in one house may not be the safest fire protection equipment for another house.

The most important features that you can use with home smoke detectors are those that increase the effectiveness of the smoke detector. There are many features that help ensure that the batteries are good; those that feature long life lithium batteries last up to10 years. Some sound a beep if the battery is low, and there are those that activate a bright escape light when activated. There are also dual sensing detectors available that use both methods of detection. These features enhance the performance of the device and provide an added layer of fire protection to your home fire safety plan.

There are also many models available with features that make the smoke detectors easier to use in the home. Many smoke detectors come equipped with hush buttons that enable the user to turn off the sound when the alarm sounds from burning food or a wood stove. This feature is also offered on models that work in conjunction with television remotes for easy silencing and testing. These features are extremely useful in areas where smoke may occasionally be present, and although you want the alarm to sound, you may also want to turn it off temporarily.

The number of smoke detectors needed in your home is greatly dependent upon the size of the home and the items contained in the home. The basic places that need smoke detectors are in the kitchen, in each bedroom or sleeping area, and also main areas such as hallways on each level. You will need to make sure that all areas of the home are protected with smoke detectors.

Bedrooms all should have a smoke detector installed within the room to alert the sleeper in the event of a fire starting in that room. While they are asleep, they may not realize there is a problem until it's too late. It is also necessary to have smoke detectors installed outside of bedrooms in hallways on each level.

Kitchen fires, we have seen, are the most common cause of fires in homes, so it is definitely a good idea to install a smoke detector in the kitchen. Cooking often creates some smoke from burning food, so you might consider a model with a hush button and dual sensors so that both types of fire are detected, and in the event of cooking smoke, it can be deactivated temporarily. Kitchen fires can be hot flaming fires from grease or smoldering from a cloth left on a burner, so if possible, you may want to install a model that detects both.

Main living areas should also be covered and these include hallways, bathrooms, dining rooms, and living rooms. If there are lots of partitions and walls the smoke will have to travel around, then additional smoke detectors are in order, but often one will suffice for large open areas.

Many homes go without protection of working smoke detectors, because the people living there are not aware that the smoke detector needs to be replaced. It is a good idea to replace smoke detectors at least every ten years. This prevents malfunction from worn out equipment and also makes sure that lithium battery smoke detectors get replaced before the batteries go dead. The smoke detector is working all the time, so replacing it regularly will protect you from malfunction.

Many people die each year because of missing batteries and inoperable smoke detectors. To ensure that you and your family are safe, you will need to test your smoke detectors regularly. Testing your smoke detectors at least twice a year is good, and more often is preferred. It is also a great time to practice other fire protection measures such as fire drills and maintaining chimneys and heating systems. Many furnaces require that the air filter be changed once a month, and this is an ideal time to test the smoke detectors in the home on a regular and frequent schedule. Testing only takes a few seconds, so most people who don't test are probably just forgetting. Setting some sort of schedule for testing that coincides with another event is a great way to remember to test your smoke detectors.

You can install the very best smoke detectors and change the batteries and still not be protected in the event of a fire. You have to test the smoke detectors regularly and replace them if needed, and you should replace them after 10 years even if they are still functioning.

You will need to determine how many smoke detectors are needed, and what types, and then you will be ready to fill those needs accurately. This should save you some money, because you can use lower cost simpler models in some areas and higher priced models with more features only where they are needed. Smoke detectors can be purchased in all price ranges, and even simple economical models will protect you well.

There are many smoke detectors available for less than $10. These generally are an ionization smoke detector that uses regular batteries and are available with some features such as low battery chirp and power indicator, a few models even have hush buttons. For general use in low risk areas, these might be a very economical solution if you don't mind changing the batteries occasionally.

If you move up to the $10 - $20 range, you get significantly more in features and options. You should be able to purchase hardwired smoke detectors with battery backup easily within this range, and they are available with hush buttons and power indicator lights. There are also models featuring lithium batteries in this price range, and many of them have hush buttons, power indicator lights, and test buttons.

Models costing $20 or more per unit have about any feature you want, and they are available in any type of smoke detector you would like. There are models that are over $100, but there are comparable models for much less. Smoke detectors are not necessarily expensive, and with some planning, you should be able to purchase all the units needed for a reasonable price that suits your budget and your needs.

The most important aspect of a home fire protection plan is the proper use and maintenance of home smoke detectors. Sadly, most of the deaths that occur each year from house fires do not have functioning smoke detectors installed. People lose their lives everyday because there was not a smoke detector, but more commonly because the battery had not been replaced.

A good solid battery replacement plan is essential to maintaining your battery operated smoke detectors, and it is one of the main reasons they fail to sound in fires. The batteries should be changed at least every six months, if you don't have a low battery indicator that beeps when the battery needs to be changed. Of course, don't forget to change the batteries in the hardwired models that feature battery backup, as well.

If most house fires resulting in deaths don't have functional smoke detectors, then you need to be certain to get those batteries changed every six months. Many people remember to do this by changing them during the time changes for daylight savings. This is one really great way to remember to change the batteries, because you can do it when you change your clock. Any two dates that occur regularly every six months could be used to remind you to take care of battery replacement.

Forming a good battery replacement plan is essential to protecting your family from fire. How or when they are replaced is not important, only that they are replaced on a regular schedule of twice a year. The cost of not changing your smoke detector batteries can be the highest price of all, your life and those you love.