How to Choose a Smoke Alarm

Properly installed and maintained, residential smoke alarms are one of the best and least expensive ways to provide an early warning when a fire begins. Smoke alarms save lives, prevent injuries and minimize property damage by alerting residents early to a fire hazard.

Smoke Alarm facts

• According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), while 94 percent of U.S. homes have smoke alarms, more than one-third of these alarms do not work due to dead, missing or disconnected batteries.
• Nearly half of the nation's fire deaths occur in the six percent of homes that do not have smoke alarms, according to NFPA research.
• According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the risk of dying in homes without smoke alarms is twice as high as it is in homes that have working smoke alarms. 
   

Smoke Alarm Tips

• Alarms should be installed in every room of the house including basements and finished attics, in each bedroom and hallways outside of every sleeping area, and at the top and bottom of stairways. In a fire, seconds count. The closer a smoke alarm is to a fire's origin, the earlier it will sound and the more time a person has to get out safely.
• Alarms should be replaced every 10 years. Alarms monitor the home every minute of every day and their lifespan is not infinite. If you do not know how old your smoke alarm is, you should replace it.
• Test your smoke alarm per manufacturer's instructions and replace the batteries as needed.
• Gently vacuum your smoke alarm monthly to prevent dirt from blocking the sensor.
• Do not disable a smoke alarm in nuisance situations. Do not "borrow" smoke alarm batteries for other uses such as toys or radios. Instead, consider replacing the alarm with a newer model with a "hush" feature.

Types of Smoke Alarms

There are two types of smoke alarm sensor technology: photoelectric and ionization.

• Ionization alarms
  are designed specifically to detect flaming fire conditions, such as paper fires and those fed by flammable fluids.
  
• Photoelectric alarms
  are designed specifically to detect smoldering smoke conditions, such as bedding and upholstery fires that often kill sleepers.

For maximum protection, install alarms with both photoelectric and ionization technology, which may provide the earliest opportunity of detecting either smoldering or fast flaming fires.