I’ve been going to some classes to keep up my Continuing Eduction for my license. I had a great class the other day and leaned a lot of new stuff. The class was on smoke and odor damage. We watched a great video on the power of fire and I learned some stuff about smoke detectors that I wasn’t aware of so I wanted to share it.
Smoke Detectors, Good for 10 Years
This was something that I was not aware of. By law, ALL smoke detectors are required to be replaced after 10 years of service. This immediately struck home with me. I started thinking about how old those battery operated smoke detectors really were. I can’t even remember the last time I replaced them. So I’m sure they are over 10 years old. So in case your like me and had no clue about this, you need to make sure you change your smoke detectors at least every 10 years.
Like other electronic devices, smoke detectors will eventually fail. Don’t wait for a fire to discover that any of your smoke detectors will not function properly! If your smoke alarms are 10 years old or more it’s time to replace them with new ones. There’s a label on the alarm with the date of manufacture. If it doesn’t have a label, it’s already more than ten years old. A good rule of thumb, If you don’t know how old they are, it’s best to install new ones!
Inter-Connected, Hard Wired, Smoke Detector System.
Not only did I learn that smoke detectors must be replaced every 10 years, I also leaned much more. Did you know that homes should be equipped with an inter-connected smoke detector system? Don’t worry, your not alone. I didn’t know either.
In Michigan, the law requires homes to be equipped with an inter-connected, hard wired, smoke detector system. With this type, any detector sensing smoke will activate all the alarms.
The law does allow homes built prior to November 1974 to have battery only detectors. But, if you own a home built prior to November 1974, you may be forced to comply with the current law if alterations or repairs requiring a permit are made to your home. The State’s goal is to have NO more stand alone, battery only, smoke detectors!
This type is just not as reliable in altering all occupants of a home. So it’s probably time to upgrade! Did you know that Nationally, close too 100% of all nighttime residential fire fatalities occur in homes WITHOUT a properly functioning smoke detector system? It’s statistics like this that prompted Michigan to adopt the current law. I personally didn’t even know about the law. It appears I’m not alone either. The law has received very little publicity and it’s not widely understood either. In Michigan, to get more information you can visit the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Just do a search for smoke detectors and you will also get some other great info that comes up! Here’s the site - www.michigan.gov/deleg.
Other Interesting Info
Another thing that I learned was that you should vacuum your smoke detector regularly. I had never heard of this. Smoke detectors must be properly installed in correct locations, tested monthly, vacuumed regularly and their batteries replaced routinely. We usually change our batteries twice per year when we change our clocks. We get to “Spring” ahead an hour and then in October, we get to “fall” back an hour. So that’s when we typically will change our batteries. It’s a good habit to get into if your not currently changing your smoke detector batteries regularly.
A Smoke detector should be replaced if it fails ANY test, is questionable in any way, or has been in service for 10 yrs or more. I can’t stress that enough. Did you know that all homes are required to have smoke detectors? It’s the law. Even landlords are required to make sure there are working smoke detectors complying with current laws in each rental unit prior to a new occupant moving in.
Inter-connected detectors are the best, are required in the majority of homes, and should be in all homes.
Smoke Alarms and Fire Safety
When fire strikes you may have less than one minute to safely get out!
- Having working smoke alarms in your home more than doubles your rate of survival if a fire occurs.
- Home fire deaths have been cut in half since the early 1970′s when smoke alarms were first marketed.
- Fires produce heat, smoke and toxic gases.
- Smoke alarms warn occupants in the event of a fire. They give you time to leave the building before your escape route is blocked by deadly smoke, heat or toxic gases.
Plan and practice a home fire escape route
This is something that I definitely need to address. We have a meeting place away from the house, but it made me really think about it. Will my kids know how to get out of the house? Which way they should go?
- Have two ways out of every room
- Don’t open doors that are hot to the touch
- Discuss the plan so each member of the family understands what to do in case of an emergency.
- Choose a family meeting place outside the home where family members can meet to be sure everyone is safely out of the home
- Practice, practice, practice! Conduct drills frequently so actions become automatic behaviors.
- Hold a family fire drill during the day, while everyone is awake and another one at night, while children are asleep.
- Following your drill, make adjustments to your plan.
- Consider purchasing a folding escape ladder as a secondary means of exit from upper floors.
When the Alarm Sounds
Be sure to leave the home right away! Don’t forget young our physically impaired family members. If a child typically sleeps through the alarm, they may need to be awakened by an adult. Get out, and Stay out!. Go to the family meeting place. Have someone dial 9-1-1 from a neighbor’s home or cell phone.
Where to place my Detector and Maintenance
As a general guideline you should place a smoke detector on every level of your home. You should have them inside each bedroom, in hallways outside of the bedroom, and the base of basement stairs, and in a furnace room if divided from the detector at the basement stairs.
Don’t forget to perform maintenance on your smoke detectors. Once a month vacuum or blow out dust from the alarms and push the test button. Change the batteries at least once per year. As I mentioned, we like to do it twice per year when we change our clocks! If you hear a chirping sound, that indicates that it’s time to change the batteries. Also, NEVER paint smoke detectors!
I hope that you have found this information beneficial. If you would like to suggest any future topics please feel free to leave a comment below.
