Saving lives from house fires is as simple as a few batteries, a handful of alarms, and some metaphorical elbow grease. Here’s what you need to know.
Firefighters, Smokey the Bear, and Sparky the Fire Dog all tell you the same thing: Most house fires are preventable. Not to put you in the hot seat when it comes to the “only you can….” message, but the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) stresses that smoke alarms have been proven to reduce the risk of death in home fires. But they can only be effective when installed and maintained properly.
So check out this quick reference guide to get you up-to-speed when it comes to smoke alarms – what types are out there, where they should be in your home, and how they can save you and your family’s lives.
Where there’s smoke, there should be a smoke detector
It’s a challenge to decide whether you should choose ionization over photoelectric smoke alarms, or vice versa, since these alarms detect fire differently. (CliffNotes – an ionization sensor respond faster to flaming fire smoke while photoelectric alarms respond faster to smoldering fire smoke.) No one can predict what type of fire might start in a home, so the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) recommends installing both types or installing a dual sensor smoke detector. (You guessed it – dual sensor alarms detect both types of smoke.)
The USFA also stresses that the placement of smoke alarms may be more important than the type of smoke alarm, so install alarms outside each sleeping area, in each bedroom, and on every level. Of course, you can’t forget the kitchen, perfect for your cooking misadventures. (Just be mindful of a false alarm and don’t unhook the battery!)
Not very DIY? Hire a reliable handyman to install smoke alarms for you.
Hardwired smoke alarms
Hardwired smoke alarms are high-tech, installed by a professional, and can be most effective when part of an interconnected system. This way, when one innterconnected smoke alarm sounds, they all go off.
Like every alarm system, you need to complete the manufacturers’ recommendations for maintenance. Some back-up batteries can last up to 10 years, but not all have the same lifespan. (The Roost Smart Battery lasts 3 to 5 years). The NFPA recommends testing your smoke alarms at least once a month, which will help you stay on top of any faulty wiring or operational concerns.
Battery operated smoke alarms – replace your batteries!
Battery-powered smoke alarms are the ones you buy at your local stores and run on 9-volt or AA batteries. While these are quick and easy to install, they have a few significant drawbacks. When one goes off, only that alarm goes off. That means a fire on one floor may not trigger the alarms on another.
Also, batteries. Generally, batteries in the alarms should be changed yearly, but we’ve all woken up in the middle of the night to that insistent chirping telling us to replace our smoke alarm’s batteries ASAP. Deciding to replace the batteries or turn over and go back to sleep may be the most important decision you ever make. According to the NFPA Journal, data from multiple-death structure fires last year found when smoke alarms did not operate, the most frequent cause was missing batteries.
Most states now require hardwired interconnect alarms in new builds, and some states, like New Jersey, require older buildings to have a 10-year sealed battery smoke alarm installed. For the occupants of older buildings without the new smoke detectors, we have one message for you — replace your batteries (please).
Additional warning bells
Fire isn’t the only danger to life, liberty, and the pursuit of comfort. The Silent Killer, carbon monoxide, is a threat with its odorless, tasteless, transparent attack, so you should also look to see if your smoke alarms also detect CO and if not, invest in ones that do. Learn more about installing a carbon monoxide detector in our vipTIPS.
Get smart about smoke alarms
Smart technology has infiltrated every part of your home, from your lights to your thermostat to your smoke alarms. Smart home devices provide modern benefits, such as:
- Silence button. Perfect for those cooking misadventures, this button helps in silencing nuisance alarms for 15 minutes to clear up smoke or steam not from a house fire. The alarm itself reactivates after the designated time frame.
- Voice hush. An appropriate, vocal command pauses nuisance alarms.
- Remote control. Control your Bluetooth or Wi-Fi enabled alarm from your smart device or cell phone. You’ll also receive alerts to replace batteries. (Listen to them!)
- Smart detection. This device sends a notification to your phone or your tablet, indicating the source of the smoke to help with evacuation.
- Home automation. Many interconnected smoke alarms now work with devices such as Alexa, Google Home, and Nest. So Alexa, can you test my smoke alarms? Thanks.
You may also want to consider smart devices such as the Google Nest Protect, which is a split spectrum sensor that provides alerts for a wide range of fire concerns. It’s also a smoke and carbon monoxide alarm that detects high humidity, so you don’t receive a false alarm for your shower or cooking steam. (No more googling, “Why do my hard wired smoke detectors keep going off?”) It even works during power outages, though it won’t alert the fire department in the case of a true home fire.
You seriously underestimate sprinklers
Smoke detectors are a necessity in every home, but the stats don’t lie about sprinklers. According to the National Fire Protection Association’s Fire Sprinkler Initiative, sprinklers –
- Lower the civilian death rate associated with home fires by 81 percent.
- Lower the average firefighter injury rate by nearly 80 percent.
- Reduce the average property loss in home fires by 71 percent.
- Kept the fire contained in the room of origin 97 percent of time.
- Fire sprinklers and hardwired fire alarms together reduce the home fire death rate by 90 percent.
Save lives and prevent home fires. Keep your smoke alarms functioning, and one more time for the people in the back – replace your batteries.
Get personalized reminders
Our home management app sends you reminders to test your smoke or carbon monoxide alarms, keep them functioning, replace your batteries, and in 10 years, replace your back-up battery. We also help check the other systems in your home and stay on top of home maintenance, so you’ll reduce your risk of suffering a home fire.
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