AFTER CLEANING, REINSTALL YOUR STROBE LIGHT AND TEST YOUR STROBE LIGHT BY ACTIVATING ONE OF THE CONTROLLING ALARMS.
8.LIMITATIONS OF ALARM CONTROLLED VISUAL SIGNALING DEVICES
VISUAL SIGNALING DEVICES CAN PROVIDE EARLY WARNING TO HEARING IMPAIRED INDIVIDUALS AT A REASONABLE COST; HOWEVER, IN ORDER FOR THE VISUAL SIGNALING DEVICE TO FUNCTION, IT MUST BE ACTIVATED BY AN OPERATING ALARM. ALARMS CANNOT PROVIDE AN ACTIVATION SIGNAL TO THE VISUAL SIGNALING DEVICE IF SMOKE, HEAT OR CARBON MONOXIDE DO NOT REACH THE SPECIFIC ALARM. THEREFORE, ALARMS MAY NOT SENSE A CONDITION ON A DIFFERENT FLOOR, OR ON THE OTHER SIDE OF A CLOSED DOOR. ALARMS DO HAVE LIMITATIONS. AC POWERED ALARMS WILL NOT OPERATE IF AC POWER HAS BEEN CUT OFF BY AN ELECTRICAL FIRE OR AN OPEN FUSE.
HOME EMERGENCIES DEVELOP IN DIFFERENT WAYS AND ARE OFTEN UNPRE- DICTABLE. NO ONE TYPE OF CONTROLLING ALARM; HEAT, FIRE (IONIZATION OR PHOTOELECTRIC) OR CARBON MONOXIDE IS ALWAYS BEST. FOR MAXIMUM PROTECTION, ALARMS MUST BE INSTALLED IN EACH SLEEPING AREA, AND ON EVERY LEVEL OF A HOME. ALARMS MUST BE INTERCONNECTED WITH EACH OTHER AND THE SIGNALING DEVICES AND BE TESTED REGULARLY TO INSURE THE ALARMS AND INTERCONNECTING CIRCUITS ARE IN GOOD OPERATING CONDITION.
IN A UNDERWRITERS LABORATORIES STUDY, THIS TYPE OF VISUAL SIGNALING APPLIANCE WAS ONLY SUCCESSFUL IN WAKING 92% OF THE SLEEPING RESPONDENTS.
HEARING IMPAIRED INDIVIDUALS MAY NOT SEE THE VISUAL WARNING DEVICE IF WALLS, DOORS, DISTANCE, HIGH AMBIENT LIGHT, OR OTHER OBSTRUCTIONS BLOCK THE STROBE LIGHT. IF THE STROBE LIGHT IS LOCATED OUTSIDE THE BEDROOM OR ON A DIFFERENT FLOOR, IT WILL NOT WAKE UP A SOUND SLEEPER. THE USE OF ALCOHOL OR DRUGS MAY ALSO IMPAIR ONES ABILITY TO RESPOND TO THE VISUAL SIGNAL.
ALTHOUGH VISUAL SIGNALING DEVICES CAN HELP SAVE LIVES BY PROVIDING AN EARLY WARNING OF AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, THEY ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR AN INSURANCE POLICY. HOME OWNERS AND RENTERS SHOULD HAVE ADEQUATE INSURANCE TO PROTECT THEIR LIVES AND PROPERTY.