Smoke Detector Education

From 2009 to 2013 three out of five home fire deaths were in homes without smoke detectors or faulty smoke detectors. As homeowners it is important to test your smoke detectors frequently and replace the batteries when needed. Sometimes this means you have to replace the smoke detector itself. It can mean the difference between life and death. Ensuring that your smoke detector is working at all times can save a lot of heartache.

Here are some tips for keeping your smoke detector in working order and protecting anyone who enters your home in Seymour, Ct.

Smoke Detector Tips

• Test your smoke detector monthly.
• There should be a smoke detector in every bedroom. Also outside the sleeping area and on every level of your house.
• Change better in your smoke detectors every six months. It can be hard to remember this with our busy lives. Put a reoccurring alert on your digital calendar to replace the batteries. Another great reminder is to get in the habit of replacing the batteries when daylight savings happens.
• Be mindful of smoke detectors that are hardwired into the electrical system. You may not think you need to replace the batteries if your home has smoke detectors that are hardwired in to the electrical system. Unfortunately, when the power goes out so do your smoke detectors. What happens if a fire starts when the power is out? Regardless of what type of smoke detector you have always make sure to change the batteries.
• Toss our the old. Every ten years from the date of the manufacture you should replace the smoke detectors. The older a smoke detector gets the easier it is for it to malfunction. Just because your smoke detector is still functioning 10 years after you purchased it doesn’t mean it is reliable.

There are a few different kinds of alarms out there to help keep you and your loved ones safe. If there are flaming fires the best detector is the ionization smoke detector. Ionization smoke detectors have two types of materials build inside them. These materials consist of opposite ions and they pair together to complete a circuit. When the smoke enters the detector it separates the ions breaks the path of electricity and the broken circuit sounds the alarm.

The other type of detector is called a photoelectric smoke detector and it is best for a long period of smoldering. Inside the detector there is a led light beam that goes from one side of the detector to the other. At the bottom of the detector is a sensor that detects light. If smoke goes inside the detector, the particles of the smoke stop the light beam and scatters the light, making the light hit the light sensor at the bottom of the detector which sounds the alarm.

The fire damage experts at PCS Southern in Seymour, Ct. recommend that you decide what is best for you and then maintain your smoke detector. You can find smoke detectors that are a combination of both types.

Smoke detectors won’t stop fires from breaking out in your home, but they can alert you in time so you and your loved ones can evacuate your home safely.