2
•
This heat alarm IS NOT designed to be the PRIMARY protection for
buildings that re q u i re complete fire alarm systems
. Buildings of
thistype includes hotels, motels, dormitories, hospitals, nursing homes,
and group homes. This is true even if they were once single family
homes.
H o w e v e r, this heat alarm MAY be used inside individual
rooms as SUPPLEMENTAL pro t e c t i o n .
•
Heat alarms should be interconnected with smoke alarms in order to
p rovide early warning of heat, smoke or fire .
In addition, smoke alarm s
should be installed in every bedroom and on every level of the home.
•
Interconnected heat alarms and smoke alarms offer maximum pro-
tection.
The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) recommends inter-
connecting heat alarms and smoke alarms so that when one unit senses
heat, smoke, or fire and sounds its alarm, all others will sound as well.
Do not interconnect heat alarms and smoke alarms from one individual
living unit to another. Do not connect this heat alarm to any other type of
alarm (except those listed in this manual) or auxiliary device.
•
Heat alarms may not alert every household member every time.
T h e re may be limiting circumstances where a household member may
not hear the alarm (e.g., outdoor or indoor noise, sound sleepers, drug or
alcohol usage, the hard of hearing, etc.). If you suspect that this smoke
a l a rm may not alert a household member, install and maintain specialty
smoke alarms. Current studies have shown smoke alarms may not awak-
en all sleeping individuals, and that it is the responsibility of individuals in
the household that are capable of assisting others to provide assistance
to those who may not be awakened by the alarm sound, or to those who
may be incapable of safely evacuating the area unassisted.
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This heat alarm can only sound its alarm when it detects tempera-
t u res of 58°C (135°F) or gre a t e r.
Heat alarms do not detect smoke,
flame, or gas. In some fires, hazardous levels of toxic chemicals and
smoke can build up before a heat alarm will operate. Te m p e r a t u res may
not reach 58°C (135°F) to activate the heat alarm QUICKLY ENOUGH to
e n s u re safe escape.
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Heat alarms should be used to supplement smoke alarm s .
This alarm
may not always detect slow, smoldering, low heat producing fires, and fire s
that are in a diff e rent room than the heat alarm. In addition, heat from a
nearby fire may bypass the heat alarm .
•
Heat alarms have limitations.
This heat alarm is not foolproof and is not
w a rranted to protect lives or pro p e rty from fire. Heat alarms are not a substi-
tute for insurance. Homeowners and renters should insure their life and
p ro p e rt y. In addition, it is possible for the heat alarm to fail at any time.
HEAT ALARM PLACEMENT
Heat alarms give an audible warning when the temperature at the alarm
reaches 58°C (135°F). Heat alarms are ideal for kitchens, garages, base-
ments, boilers rooms, attics, and other areas where there are normally high
levels of fumes, smoke, or dust which are also areas where smoke alarm s
should not be installed due to risk of false nuisance alarm s .
For your information, the National Fire Protection Association’s
Standard 72, reads as follows:
11.5.1* Required Detection.
11.5.1.1* Where re q u i red by applicable laws, codes, or standards for a specific
type of occupancy, approved single- and multiple-station smoke alarms shall be
installed as follows:
( 1 ) *In all sleeping rooms and guest ro o m s
( 2 ) *Outside of each separate dwelling unit sleeping area, within 6.4 m (21 ft)
of any door to a sleeping room, the distance measured along a path of
t r a v e l
( 3 ) On every level of a dwelling unit, including basements
( 4 ) On every level of a residential board and care occupancy (small facility),
including basement and excluding crawl spaces and unfinished attics
( 5 ) *In the living area(s) of a guest suite
( 6 ) In the living area(s) of a residential board and care occupancy (small
f a c i l i t y )
A.11.8.3 One of the most critical factors of any fire alarm system is the location
of the fire detecting devices. This annex is not a technical study. It is an
attempt to provide some fundamentals on alarm or detector location. For
s i m p l i c i t y, only those types of alarms or detectors recognized by Chapter 11
(e.g., smoke and heat alarms or detectors) are discussed. In addition, special
p roblems requiring engineering judgment, such as locations in attics and in
rooms with high ceiling, are not covere d .
Smoke Alarms or Smoke Detector Mounting – Dead Air Space.
The smoke from a fire generally rises to the ceiling, spreads out across the
ceiling surface, and begins to bank down from the ceiling. The corner where
the ceiling and wall meet is an air space into which the smoke could have
d i fficulty penetrating. In most fires, this dead air space measures about
0.1 m (4 in.) along the ceiling from the corner and about 0.1 m (4 in.) down the
wall as shown in Figure A.11.8.3 Detectors should not be placed in this dead
air space.
Smoke and heat detectors should be installed in those locations
recommended by the manufacture r’s published instructions, except in those
cases where the space above the ceiling is open to the outside and little or no
insulation is present over the ceiling. Such cases result in the ceiling being
excessively cold in the winter or excessively hot in the summer. Where the
ceiling is significantly diff e rent in temperature from the air space below,
smoke and heat have difficulty reaching the ceiling and a detector that is
located on that ceiling. In this situation, placement of the detector on a
side-wall, with the top 0.1 m to 0.3 m (4 in. to 12 in.) from the ceiling,
is re c o m m e n d e d .
