Where not to Install Smoke Alarms

For best performance, do not install the unit:

•Where combustion particles are produced. Combustion particles form when something burns. Areas to avoid include poorly ventilated kitchens, garages, and furnace rooms. Keep units at least 20 feet (6 meters) from the sources of combustion particles (stove, furnace, water heater, space heater) if possible. Ventilate these areas as much as possible.

•In air streams near kitchens. Air currents can draw cooking smoke into the sensing chamber of a smoke alarm near the kitchen.

•In very damp, humid or steamy areas, or directly near bathrooms with showers. Keep units at least 10 feet (3 meters) away from showers, saunas, dishwashers, etc.

•Where the temperatures are regularly below 40˚ F (4˚C) or above 100˚ F (38˚ C) including unheated buildings, outdoor rooms, porches, or unﬁnished attics or basements.

•In very dusty, dirty, or greasy areas. Do not install a smoke alarm directly over the stove or range. Clean a laundry room unit frequently to keep it free of dust or lint.

•Near fresh air vents, ceiling fans, or in very drafty areas. Drafts can blow smoke away from the unit, preventing it from reaching the sensing chamber.

•In insect infested areas. Insects can clog openings to the sensing chamber and cause unwanted alarms.

•Less than 12 inches (305 mm) away from ﬂuorescent lights. Electrical “noise” can interfere with the sensor.

•In “dead air” spaces (see “Avoiding Dead Air Spaces” below).

WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF FIRE

•Don’t panic; stay calm. Follow your family escape plan. Your safe escape may depend on thinking clearly and remembering what you have practiced.

•Get out of the house as quickly as possible. Don’t stop to get dressed or collect anything.

•Feel doors with the back of your hand before opening them to see if they are hot. If a door is cool, open it slowly. Don’t open a hot door—use an alternate escape route.

•Cover your nose and mouth with a cloth (preferably wet). Take short, shallow breaths.

•Keep doors and windows closed, unless you need to escape through them.

•Meet at your planned meeting place outside your home, and do a head count to make sure everybody got out safely.

•Call the Fire Department as soon as possible from outside. Give your address, then your name.

•Never go back inside a burning building for any reason.

Contact your Fire Department for ideas on making your home safer and on creating your own family escape plan.

IMPORTANT! READ BEFORE INSTALLING SMOKE ALARM

Read “Where To Install Smoke Alarms” and “Where Not To Install Smoke Alarms” before beginning. This unit monitors the air, and when smoke reaches its sensing chamber, it alarms. It can give you more time to escape before ﬁre spreads. This unit can ONLY give an early warning of developing ﬁres if it is installed, maintained and located where smoke can reach it, and where all residents can hear it, as described in this manual. This unit will not

AVOIDING DEAD AIR SPACES

FOR STANDARD FLAT CEILINGS

Do not install smoke alarm lower than 12" (305mm) from the wall/ceiling line

Best Location (center of ceiling)

Acceptable Location

Dead Air Spaces (4" or 102 mm)

FOR SLOPED CEILINGS	FOR PEAKED CEILINGS
(i.e. great rooms, dormers, condominiums )	(i.e. Cathedral ceilings, A-frames)

Install first smoke alarm in this target area

3 ft 0.9 m

3 ft

0.9 m

Install first smoke alarm in this target area

If required, install additional	If required, install additional
smoke alarms along the slope.	smoke alarms along the slope.

sense gas, heat, or ﬂame. It cannot prevent or extinguish ﬁres.

DANGER!

•ELECTRICAL SHOCK HAZARD. Turn off power to the area where you will install this unit at the circuit breaker or fuse box before beginning installation. Failure to turn off the power before installation may result in serious electrical shock, injury or death.

WARNING!

• Installation of this unit must conform to the electrical codes in your area; Article 760 of the

National Electrical Code (NFPA 70), NFPA 72, 101; SBC (SBCCI); UBC (ICBO); NBC (BOCA);

OTFDC (CABO), and any other local or building codes that may apply. Wiring and installation

“Dead air” spaces may prevent smoke from reaching the smoke alarm. To avoid dead air spaces, follow the installation recommendations below.

On ceilings, install smoke alarms as close to the center of the ceiling as possible. If this is not possible, install the smoke alarm at least 4 inches (102 mm) from the wall or corner.

For wall mounting (if allowed by building codes), the top edge of smoke alarms should be placed between 4 inches (102 mm) and 12 inches (305 mm) from the wall/ceiling line, below typical “dead air” spaces.

On a peaked, gabled, or cathedral ceiling, install the ﬁrst smoke alarm within 3 feet (0.9 meters) of the peak of the ceiling, measured horizontally. Additional smoke alarms may be required depending on the length, angle, etc. of the ceiling's slope. Refer to NFPA 72 for details on requirements for sloped or peaked ceilings.

PROTECTING YOUR FAMILY FROM FIRE

Putting up smoke alarms is one step in protecting your family from ﬁres. You must also reduce the chance a ﬁre will start in your home, and have a plan for escaping safely if one does. To have a good ﬁre safety program, you must:

Develop a family escape plan and practice it with everyone in your family, including small children. 1) Draw a ﬂoor plan of your home and identify at least two exits from each room and one way to get out of each bedroom without opening the door; 2) Decide on a meeting place a safe distance from home, and make sure everyone knows to wait there; 3) Know where to go to call the Fire Department from outside the home; 4) Make sure everyone—including all children—know what the alarm signal means and how to react to it. Teach them they must be prepared to leave the home by themselves if needed; 5) Hold ﬁre drills every 6 months and practice how to escape safely. Show children how to check if doors are hot before opening them. Show them how to use an alternate exit if a door is hot and shouldn’t be opened. Teach them to stay close to the ﬂoor and crawl if necessary.

Install at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home, in every bedroom, and in every sleeping area.

Keep alarms clean, and test them weekly. Replace smoke alarms immediately if they are not working properly. Smoke alarms that do not work cannot alert you to a ﬁre.

Keep at least one working ﬁre extinguisher on every ﬂoor, and an additional one in the kitchen. Have ﬁre escape ladders or other reliable means of escape from an upper ﬂoor in case stairs are blocked.

Follow safety rules, and prevent hazardous situations: 1) Use smoking materials properly. Never smoke in bed.

2)Keep matches or lighters away from children; 3) Store ﬂammable materials in proper containers; 4) Keep electrical appliances in good condition and don’t overload electrical circuits; 5) Keep stoves, barbecue grills, ﬁreplaces and chimneys grease- and debris-free; 6) Never leave anything cooking on the stove unattended; 7) Keep portable heaters and open ﬂames, like candles, away from ﬂammable materials; 8) Don’t let rubbish accumulate.

must be performed by a licensed electrician. Failure to follow these guidelines may result in

injury or property damage.

• This unit must be powered by a 24-hour, 120VAC 60Hz circuit. Be sure the circuit cannot be

turned off by a switch, dimmer, or ground fault circuit interrupter. Failure to connect this unit

to a 24-hour circuit may prevent it from providing constant protection.

• It is possible an electrical ﬁre could occur on the circuit powering this unit. If this happened,

the power to the unit could be cut off and it may fail to alarm. Some safety experts recom-

mend wiring warning devices like this unit on separate circuits from other appliances, since

these circuits are not as likely to be overloaded. Other safety experts recommend wiring these

units on the same circuits as appliances so it is more readily apparent if the circuit fails.

Whichever circuit you choose, it is recommended you also install battery powered units as

back-ups in case of ﬁre on the circuit powering the AC powered units.

• Never disconnect the power from an AC powered unit to stop an unwanted alarm. Doing so

will disable the unit and remove your protection. In the case of a true unwanted alarm open a

window or fan the smoke away from the unit. The alarm will reset automatically when it

returns to normal operation. Never remove the batteries from a battery operated unit to stop

an unwanted alarm (caused by cooking smoke, etc.). Instead open a window or fan the smoke

away from the unit. The alarm will reset automatically.

CAUTION!

•Connect this unit ONLY to other compatible units. See “How To Install This Smoke Alarm” for details. Do not connect it to any other type of alarm or auxiliary device. Connecting anything else to this unit may damage it or prevent it from operating properly.

•Do not stand too close to the unit when the alarm is sounding. The horn is loud in order to wake you in an emergency. Do not look directly at or touch the strobe light when it is ﬂashing. Exposure to the horn or strobe at close range may harm your ears or eyes. When testing the unit, step back when the horn starts sounding.