Smoke Alarm Features
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 occu- pancies is based primarily on early notification to occu- pants of the need to escape, followed by the appropri- ate 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
•Smoke alarms are devices that can provide early warning of possible fires at a reasonable cost, however, alarms have sensing limitations. Ionization type alarms offer a broad range of fire sensing capabilities but are better at detecting fast flaming fires than slow smolder- ing fires. Photoelectric alarms sense smoldering fires better than flaming fires. Home fires develop in different ways and are often unpredictable. Neither type of alarm (photoelectric or ionization) is always best, and a given alarm may not always provide warning of a fire.
Carbon Monoxide Alarm Features
•A battery powered alarm must have a battery of the specified type, in good condition and installed properly.
•A.C. powered alarms (without battery backup) will not operate if the A.C. power has been cut off, such as by an electrical fire or an open fuse.
•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.
•If the alarm is located outside the bedroom 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 home.
•Although smoke alarms can help save lives by provid- ing an early warning of a fire, they are not a
Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarm
The carbon monoxide (CO) alarm monitors the air for the presence of CO. It will alarm when there are high levels of CO present, and when there are low levels of CO present over a longer period of time. When a CO condition matches either of these situations, the alarm/voice message warning system will sound, and be accompanied by the flashing red LED light.The carbon monoxide sensor uses an electrochemical technology.
6 | 7 |
