“LATCHING ALARM” INDICATOR | RECOMMENDED LOCATIONS FOR SMOKE ALARMS, Continued |
BEDROOM | BEDROOM | BEDROOM | KEY: |
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| LATCHING ALARM: |
| KITCHEN |
| Unit was exposed |
| GARAGE | to alarm levels of Smoke | |
LIVING ROOM | HALL |
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| |
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| LATCHING NOT ACTIVATED: |
| BASEMENT |
| Unit was not exposed |
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| to alarm levels of Smoke | |
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The Latching Alarm Indicator is automatically activated after an Alarm is exposed to alarm levels of smoke. After smoke levels drop below alarm levels, the green LED will be On for 2 seconds/Off for 2 seconds, repeatedly. This feature helps emergency responders, investigators, or service technicians identify which unit(s) in your home were exposed to alarm levels of smoke after the condition has subsided. The Latching Alarm Indicator stays ON until you reset it by pressing the Test/Silence button. The Latching Alarm Indicator is also reset when AC and DC power is removed from the Alarm.
IF YOU SUSPECT A PROBLEM
Smoke Alarms may not operate properly because of dead, missing or weak batteries, a
•If you hear a “chirp” once a minute, replace the battery.
•If you experience frequent
•If the alarm sounds when no smoke is visible, try cleaning or relocating the Smoke Alarm. The cover may be dirty.
•If the alarm does not sound during testing, make sure it is receiving AC power from the household current.
Always discharge the branch circuit before servicing an AC or AC/DC Smoke Alarm. First, turn off the AC power at the circuit breaker or fuse box. Next, remove the battery from Smoke Alarms with battery
Do not try fixing the alarm yourself – this will void your warranty!
If the Smoke Alarm is still not operating properly, and it is still under warranty, please see “How to Obtain Warranty Service” in the Limited Warranty.
RECOMMENDED LOCATIONS
FOR SMOKE ALARMS
Installing Smoke Alarms in Single-Family Residences
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), recommends one Smoke Alarm on every floor, in every sleeping area, and in every bedroom. In new construction, the Smoke Alarms must be AC powered and interconnected.
See “Agency Placement Recommendations” for details. For additional cover- age, it is recommended that you install a Smoke Alarm in all rooms, halls, storage areas, finished attics, and basements, where temperatures normally remain between 40˚ F (4˚ C) and 100˚ F (38˚ C). Make sure no door or other obstruction could keep smoke from reaching the Smoke Alarms.
More specifically, install Smoke Alarms:
•On every level of your home, including finished attics and basements.
•Inside every bedroom, especially if people sleep with the door partly or completely closed.
•In the hall near every sleeping area. If your home has multiple sleeping areas, install a unit in each. If a hall is more than 40 feet (12 meters) long, install a unit at each end.
•At the top of the
Specific requirements for Smoke Alarm installation vary from state to state and from region to region. Check with your local Fire Department for current requirements in your area. It is recommended AC or AC/DC units be interconnected for added protection.
INSTALLING SMOKE ALARMS IN MOBILE HOMES & RVS
For minimum security install one Smoke Alarm as close to each sleeping area as possible. For more security, put one unit in each room. Many older mobile homes (especially those built before 1978) have little or no insulation. If your mobile home is not well insulated, or if you are unsure of the amount of insulation, it is important to install units on inside walls only. Smoke Alarms should be installed where temperatures normally remain between 40˚ F (4˚ C) and 100˚ F (38˚ C). WARNING: Test units used in RVs after the vehicle has been in storage, before every trip, and once a week while in use. Failure to test units used in RVs as described may remove your protection.
AGENCY PLACEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
NFPA 72 (National Fire Code) Chapter 11
“For your information, the National Fire Protection Association's Standard 72, reads as follows:
11.5.1 One- and Two-Family Dwelling Units.
11.5.1.1Smoke Detection. Where required by applicable laws, codes, or standards for the specified occupancy, approved single- and
A.11.8.3 Are More Smoke Alarms Desirable? The required number of Smoke Alarms might not provide reliable early warning protection for those areas separated by a door from the areas protected by the required Smoke Alarms. For this reason, it is recommended that the householder consider the use of additional Smoke Alarms for those areas for increased protection. The additional areas include the basement, bedrooms, dining room, furnace room, utility room, and hallways not protected by the required Smoke Alarms. The installation of Smoke Alarms in kitchens, unfinished attics, or garages is not normally recommended, as these locations occasionally experience conditions that can result in improper operation.”
California State Fire Marshal (CSFM)
Early warning detection is best achieved by the installation of fire detection equipment in all rooms and areas of the household as follows: A Smoke Alarm installed in each separate sleeping area (in the vicinity, but outside bedrooms), and Heat or Smoke Alarms in the living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, hallways, finished attics, furnace rooms, closets, utility and storage rooms, basements, and attached garages.
LOCATIONS TO AVOID FOR SMOKE ALARMS
For best performance, AVOID installing Smoke Alarms in these areas:
•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. In areas where a
•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 sensing chamber.
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