Fire Alarm Safety

Smoke alarms should be installed in every bedroom, outside of every sleeping area, in the garage, and on each level of the home.

There are two types of smoke alarm technology.  One is called ionization; the other is photo electric.  According to the National Fire Protection Association, the ionization alarms seem to be more responsive to flames.  The photo electric alarms are more responsive to smoldering fires.

The best time to replace alarm batteries is when we change to or from Daylight Savings Time, which is in both fall and spring.

The newer alarms have a 10 year lithium battery, which will eliminate the need for new batteries once a year, but the whole unit will need to be replaced when the battery dies.

If the alarms are hard-wired to the homes electrical system, make sure they are interconnected for maximum effectiveness.  In other words, if one of the alarms go off, they all go off at the same time.