Home Smoke Alarms

Choosing Your Alarm
*Be sure the smoke alarm you buy bears the label of an independent testing lab.
*Some alarms run on household current and include battery back up, which require professional
installation.
*Some alarms run on just batteries which you can usually install yourself.
*Long Life" alarms have "10-year" batteries which are intended to last the life of the smoke alarm.
*Some alarms use an "ionization" type smoke-sensing system; others use "photoelectric" sensors.
Both types offer adequate protection.
*Some alarms have "pause" (silencer or hush) buttons so you can deactivate them if cooking fumes
or steam set off a "nuisance alarm." These models re-activate automatically after 8-10 minutes.
*For people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, some alarms flash a strobe-like light.

Placing Your Alarms
*Install alarms on every level of your home - including the basement.
*Install an alarm outside each sleeping area. Make sure everyone can clearly hear and recognize
the sound of all the smoke alarms at all times. If you sleep with bedroom doors closed, have a
qualified electrician install interconnected smoke alarm in each room so that, when one sounds, they
all sound.
*Some studies have shown that some children may not awaken to the sound of smoke alarm. *Know
what your child will do before a fire occurs. For More information on this issue, smoke alarms, and
escape planning visit www.firesafetycouncil.com.
*On floors without bedrooms, install alarms in the living room and/or near the stairways to the upper
level.
*NFPA also suggests you install alarms in dinning rooms, family rooms, utility rooms, hallways, and
other living areas.
*Don't install alarms closer than 1 metre (3 feet) from a kitchen or bathroom door.
*Don't install alarms in locations where the temperature may be too low or too high.

Wall mounting: Position the top of the alarm 10-30 centimetres (4-12 inches) from the ceiling.

Ceiling mounting: Position alarms at least 10 centimetres (4 inches) away from the nearest wall.

*In a room with a pitched ceiling, mount the alarm at or near the ceiling's highest point.
*Basement alarms should be located near the stairway leading to the floor above.
*Don't mount an alarm within 1 metre (3 feet) of a forced-air supply register.

Installing and Maintaining Your Smoke Alarms
* When installing smoke alarms, be sure to fallow the manufacturer's instructions.
* Have a qualified electrician install alarms that are hard-wired into your house wiring.
*Never connect an alarm to a circuit that can be turned off from a wall switch." Wire alarms together
so that if one sounds, they all sound.
*Always save and fallow the manufacturer's instructions for testing and maintenance,
*Test alarms monthly.
*Replace batteries at least once a year - for example, when you set the clocks back in the fall - or
whenever an alarm "chirps" to tell you the battery is low.
*Replace any smoke alarm that is more than 10 years old.
*Consider installing smoke alarms with a "long life" (10-year) battery. These alarms must also be
tested once a month.
*Clean your alarms regularly, fallowing the manufacturer's instructions. You can sometimes use a
vacuum cleaner without removing the alarm's cover.
*Never paint a smoke alarm.