A smoke alarm is a warning device that detects smoke at the earliest stages of a fire. If there is a fire somewhere in your home it sounds a piercing alarm to warn you, giving you time to escape. The noise should wake you up even if you are sound asleep.
The following information will explain how to choose and install an alarm.
Where can I buy an alarm?
You can buy smoke alarms from DIY stores, hardware and electrical shops, and from supermarkets and convenience stores. You can also buy them online on the internet.
What does a smoke alarm cost?
A basic battery-operated smoke alarm can cost as little as £3.99 (the price of a packet of cigarettes or couple of pints of beer). Smoke alarms with more features can cost up to £25. The more a smoke alarm costs, the more features it will have. Some models have a 10 year battery, for example, so you don't have to change it every year. But it is safer to install the cheapest, most basic alarm than to have no alarm at all-it will still warn you if there is a fire in your home.
Installing a smoke alarm
To fit a smoke alarm all you have to do is follow the manufacturer's instructions. It takes just a few minutes to fit a smoke alarm. For most people this is quite easy and straightforward. If you are having some other work done around the home, why not add this simple job to the list?
Remember to take care, particularly if you normally need help with jobs around your home. Do not be tempted to have a go yourself if you feel unsteady or unsure-you could fall and injure yourself, ask a neighbour or family member to install it for you.
How many smoke alarms do I need?
The more alarms you have around your home the safer you will be. For minimum protection do the following:-
* If you live on one level, fit the smoke alarm in the hallway between the living and the sleeping areas.
* If you home has more than one level, fit one alarm at the bottom of the staircase and further alarms on each stair landing.
* If you choose to fit only one alarm in a home that has more than one level, then fit it at the top of the stairs which lead to the bedrooms.
Where is the best place to put a smoke alarm?
The best place is on the ceiling, as near as possible to the centre of the room, hallway or landing. It should be at least 12 inches (30 centimetres) away from any wall or light.
Which Type Of Smoke Alarm Should I Choose?
There are several models to choose from, depending on your needs and budget. If
you have difficulty hearing for example, you can buy one with a vibrating pad or
flashing light. Whichever model you choose, make sure that it meets British Standard 5446 Part 1 and preferably carries the British Standard Kitemark. The information below will help you make the right choice.
There are two main types of smoke alarm:-
Ionisation Alarms
These are the cheapest and most readily available on the market. They are very sensitive to 'flaming fires', such as chip pan fires, and will detect this type of fire before the smoke gets too thick.
Optical Alarms
These alarms are more expensive and are more effective at detecting slow-burning fires, such as smouldering foam filled furniture and overhead electrical wiring. Optical alarms are less likely to go off accidentally, and are best for ground-floor hallways, and for homes on one level.
The following are some of the types of smoke alarm which are most commonly available. It is not a complete list and the descriptions may vary and the information is for general guidance only.
Standard Battery Alarm
The ionisation battery alarm is the most basic and cheapest available. Also available is an optical-form battery alarm which is a little more expensive. Both are fitted with a 9 volt battery which needs testing weekly and changing every year.
Longer Lasting Alarm With 10 Year Batteries Or Power Source
This alarm is available in ionisation and optical form and fitted with long-life lithium batteries or a sealed power pack that lasts for 10 years. For the extra cost, this type of alarm provides you with longer-term protection and means you don't have to keep changing the battery.
Battery Alarm with Hush Or Silencer Button
A hush or silencer button which, when you press it, silences the alarm for a short period. You could use this whilst you are cooking for example. It also silences the alarm if it goes off accidentally. It either 'chirps' every 30-40 seconds to remind you that it is in hush mode, or a red light flashes every 10 seconds. If there is a real fire which is giving off a lot of smoke, the hush system will be overridden and the warning alarm will sound.
Battery Alarm With Emergency Light
You can get this alarm in ionisation or optical form. If the alarm is set off, the emergency light helps you escape quickly. It can also be helpful for people with hearing difficulties.
Interconnecting Alarms
Some alarms are available that will connect to each other so that, when one senses smoke, all the alarms will sound. This helps make sure the alarm will be heard which is useful in larger or multi-storey houses.
Mains Powered Alarm
These look like self contained alarms and work like them, but are powered from the household mains supply. The mains powered alarm is not plugged into an electrical socket, but wired in a similar way to a home's electrical lighting circuits, and must be installed by a qualified electrician. You can buy these alarms with or without battery back up. All homes since 1992 are fitted with a mains powered alarm on each storey.
Mains Powered Alarm With Strobe Light & Vibrating Pad
This alarm comes in both ionisation and optical form. This is a specially combined unit which can be plugged or wired in & is ideal for the hard of hearing. If there is a fire, anyone with hearing difficulties will be alerted instantly by the smoke alarms flashing light or vibrating pad.
Mains Powered Alarm Which Plugs Into A Light Socket
This alarm has a rechargeable battery back-up and a test button and hush button operated from a light switch. It lasts for 10 years and needs no DIY fixing.
Looking After Your Smoke
Alarm
Once an alarm is installed you need to check it regularly to make sure it is working
properly. Many fire deaths and injuries happen each year because a battery was
missing or needed replacing.
Once a week
Test each alarm by pressing the test button and holding it until the alarm sounds.
Once a year
Change the battery in the alarm (unless it is a 10 year battery).
Twice a year
Open the alarm case and gently vacuum the inside using the soft brush attachment,
to remove dust from the sensor chamber. If alarm case doesn't open vacuum over the slots to suck out any dust. Never paint over a smoke alarm.
Replacements
As well as doing normal battery checks, it is best to replace smoke alarms with completely new units after 10 years. If you previously fitted just the basic model, this is an opportunity to install longer-life smoke alarms.
Nuisance Alarms
If an alarm keeps going off it is only doing it's job! You have probably installed it in an unsuitable location-either in or too near the kitchen, for example where it can be set off by steam or fumes/smoke from your cooking. False alarms can also be triggered by small amounts of smoke from open fires in the hearth, by candle smoke, or by a build up of dust and dirt as a result of poor maintenance.
Whatever you do don't be tempted to disconnect or remove the battery-this could be fatal. If the alarm goes off a lot try moving it somewhere else, out of the immediate smoke path, or replace it with a 'hush' or silencer button' alarm. If you need help on moving your alarm, don't put it off until it is too late-your local fire brigade will help with advice.
IF YOUR SMOKE ALARM STARS TO 'BEEP' REGULARLY, YOU SHOULD REPLACE THE BATTERY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IF IT IS A 10 YEAR ALARM THE WHOLE UNIT WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED.
If there is a fire, you've already taken the first crucial step to saving your life by installing a smoke alarm. It will give you the vital moments you need to alert everybody in the house and escape.
The next most important thing to do is to have a Fire Action plan, so everyone knows exactly what to do if there is a fire.
1.When you make your plan, take everyone in your household into account, including children and elderly or disabled people
2. Choose the best escape route and another way out, just in case the normal one is blocked, and keep them clear.
3. Tell everyone in your household where the door and window keys are kept.
4. If your escape route is blocked, it is safer to stay in your home and protect yourself until the fire brigade arrives. Choose a suitable room with a window that opens and, if possible, a phone so you can dial 999. If you have a mobile phone always take it with you when you go to bed.
