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Residential Smoke Alarms
Change Your Clocks - Change Your Batteries
Carbon Monoxide - Smoke Detector Affidavit
Smoke alarms that are properly installed and maintained play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries. Smoke alarms save lives. If there is a fire in your home, smoke spreads fast and you need smoke alarms to give you time to get out. Having a working smoke alarm cuts the chances of dying in a reported fire in half.
Almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
Carbon Monoxide - Smoke Detector Affidavit
Almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
Choosing a Smoke AlarmBe sure that the smoke detectors you buy carry the label of an independent testing laboratory. Several types of detectors are available. Some run on batteries, others on household current. Some detect smoke by using an "ionization" sensor, other use a "photoelectric" detection system. All approved smoke detectors, regardless of the type, will offer adequate protection provided they are installed and maintained properly. So What Is in a Dual Sensor Smoke Alarm?There are two types of sensors:Ionization smoke detection is generally more responsive to flaming fires. How they work: Ionization-type smoke alarms have a small amount of radioactive material between two electrically charged plates, which ionizes the air and causes current to flow between the plates. When smoke enters the chamber, it disrupts the flow of ions, thus reducing the flow of current and activating the alarm. Photoelectric smoke detection is generally more responsive to fires that begin with a long period of smoldering (called “smoldering fires”). How they work: Photoelectric-type alarms aim a light source into a sensing chamber at an angle away from the sensor. Smoke enters the chamber, reflecting light onto the light sensor; triggering the alarm. Some new alarms are powered by sealed long-lasting lithium batteries, others can use a 9v lithium, both types have a life of 10 years. For the best protection, buy interconnected smoke alarms for the home. When one sounds, they all sound. Make sure the model you choose has been listed by UL (Underwriters Laboratory).
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