Smoke Alarm
The smoke alarm monitors the air for products of
combustion that are produced when something is burning
or smoldering. When smoke particles in the smoke sensor
reach a specified concentration, the alarm/voice message
warning system will sound, and be accompanied by the
flashing red LED light. The smoke alarm takes precedence
when both smoke and carbon monoxide are present.
NFPA 72 states: Life safety from fire in residential
occupancies is based primarily on early notification to
occupants of the need to escape, followed by the
appropriate egress actions by those occupants. Fire warning
systems for dwelling units are capable of protecting about
half of the occupants in potentially fatal fires. Victims are
often intimate with the fire, too old or young, or physically
or mentally impaired such that they cannot escape even
when warned early enough that escape should be possible.
For these people, other strategies such as protection-in-
place or assisted escape or rescue are necessary.
• Smoke alarms are devices that can provide early warning
of possible fires at a reasonable cost; however, alarms
have sensing limitations. Ionization sensing alarms may
detect invisible fire particles (associated with fast flaming
fires) sooner than photoelectric alarms. Photoelectric
sensing alarms may detect visible fire particles (associated
with slow smoldering fires) sooner than ionization alarms.
Home fires develop in different ways and are often
unpredictable. For maximum protection, Kidde
recommends that both Ionization and Photoelectric
alarms be installed.
• A battery powered alarm must have a battery of the
specified type, in good condition and installed properly.
• Smoke alarms must be tested regularly to make sure the
batteries and the alarm circuits are in good operating
condition.
• Smoke alarms cannot provide an alarm if smoke does not
reach the alarm. Therefore, smoke alarms may not sense
fires starting in chimneys, walls, on roofs, on the other
side of a closed door or on a different floor.
Features
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