17
11. Cleaning Your Alarm
YOUR ALARM SHOULD BE CLEANED AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR
To clean your alarm, remove it from the mounting bracket as outlined
in Section 10 Battery Replacement or Section 6,
Figure 4A
. You can
clean the interior of your alarm (sensing chamber) by using compressed
air or a vacuum cleaner hose and blowing or vacuuming through the
openings around the temperature sensor located on the top of the
alarm. The outside of the alarm can be wiped with a damp cloth.
After cleaning, reinstall your alarm and test your alarm by using the test
button. If cleaning does not restore the alarm to normal operation the
alarm should be replaced.
After cleaning, reinstall your alarm. Test your alarm by using
the test button and check that the green LED is on.
12. Limitations Of Smoke Alarms
Warning! Smoke alarms are devices that can provide
early warning of possible fires; however, alarms have sensing
limitations.
Ionisation 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
smouldering fires) sooner than ionisation alarms.
Home fires develop in different ways and are often unpredictable.
For maximum protection, subject to applicable legal requirements
in each State and Territory,
Garlan OnGard
recommends that both
ionisation and photoelectric alarms be installed.
Loose batteries, where fitted, must be of the specified type, in good
condition and installed properly. AC only powered alarms will not
operate if AC power has been cut off such as by an electrical fire,
an open fuse or loss of mains supply. All alarms must be tested
regularly to make sure the batteries and the alarm circuits are in
good operating condition.
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. If the alarm is located
outside the sleeping room or on a different floor, it may not wake up
a sound sleeper. The use of alcohol or drugs may also impair one’s
ability to hear the smoke alarm. For maximum protection, a smoke
alarm should be installed in each sleeping area on every level of a
