What You Don't Know About Smoke Detectors Could Save Your Life!

The facts are clear that smoke detectors in your home are important.  In fact, not having a functional smoke alarm doubles your chances of dying in a house fire.  And, two-thirds of all fire-related deaths happen in homes without functional smoke detectors.

So, if you're like 96% of the nation's homes, you have at least one smoke alarm.  And because you are concerned about minimizing fire risk you change the battery twice a year when we set the clocks back and forward.  You can rest easy knowing that you're protected, right?

The answer is maybe and maybe not.  It all depends on the type of smoke alarms you have.

The Two Types of Smoke Alarms
Most residential smoke alarms utilize either ionization or photoelectric technology.  And while you may think that "a smoke alarm is a smoke alarm" there are crucial differences in the ways these two technologies respond to fires.

About 90 percent of installed alarms are ionization type smoke detectors which are typically more responsive to fast flaming fires such as stovetop or cooking fires.  These types of fires often occur when people are awake and can more easily escape.

Photoelectric smoke detectors are typically more responsive to smoldering fires in living spaces where furniture, mattresses and synthetic materials generally burn more slowly with a long period of smoldering before they erupt into open flames.  These fires often start overnight when occupants are likely asleep.

Here's the critical difference between these two types of smoke detectors:

On average, ionization smoke detectors respond about 30 seconds faster to an open-flame fire than photoelectric alarms and in a flaming fire there can be little time to spare.

In a smoldering fire, however, ionization units may respond on average 30 to 60 minutes slower than a photoelectric unit.  In some cases, ionization smoke detectors may not always alarm even when a room is filled with smoke from a smoldering fire.

Photoelectric detectors can provide a lot more warning time than ionization detectors in a smoldering fire.  While smoldering fires account for only about 12 percent of fires, they also account for more than half of fire-related deaths and a third of fire-related injuries (most residential fire fatalities occur at night and are the result of smoke inhalation).

Changes in building materials and furnishings over the past decades have reduced the time available for safe escape in any fire so having the proper warning of either a smoldering fire or an open flame fire as early as possible is absolutely critical.

Another Problem with Ionization Smoke Alarms
A recent Alaskan nuisance alarm study indicated that 92% of homes with ionization smoke alarms experienced nuisance alarms compared to only 11% with photoelectric smoke alarms.  The reason this is important is that occupants disable ionization smoke alarms by removing the batteries because of frequent nuisance alarming.  And a disarmed smoke alarm is, obviously, useless.  In fact, homes with non-functional smoke alarms account for close to two-thirds of all fire-related deaths.

What Type of Smoke Detectors Should I Have?

You should perform your own research before making a final decision, but consider that the Consumer Products Safety commission says that best protection when it comes to smoke alarms is to:

   - Install a working smoke alarm on every level of the home, outside sleeping areas, and inside bedrooms

   - Install both ionization and photoelectric type smoke alarms

   - Install interconnected smoke alarms

   - Install smoke alarms using house wiring with battery back-up

The data is clear that having both ionization and separate photoelectric smoke alarms provides the best protection from both fast moving flaming fires and smoldering fires.

Consider that the National Fire Protection Association, Consumer Products Safety Commission, United States Fire Administration, National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Association of State Fire Marshals all recommend having both types of smoke alarms installed.

Additional Features to Consider in Your Smoke Alarm

Interconnected Alarms: This type of alarm causes all the interconnected alarms in the home to alert if one has detected smoke.  For example, if a fire starts in the basement all the alarms in the house, including those on the upper bedroom level will sounds which may give occupants additional escape time.  Interconnected systems can be hard wired or are available using wireless technology.

Talking Alarms: There are now talking alarms that not just sound an alarm but "speak" to you alerting you to the detected hazard.

Kids and Your Escape Plan

Remember that many children will sleep through smoke alarms!  Do not assume they will awaken and find their way out of the house.  Make sure everyone in your family knows how to escape when the smoke alarm goes off, whether they are awake or asleep.

Courtesy of:

Alliance Disaster Kleenup 

574 Wheeling Road, Wheeling, IL  60090 

P: 847-205-2100  F: 847-205-4100  

www.adk911.com

10 Ways to Winterize Your Home — Now

1. Clean those gutters
Once the leaves fall, remove them and other debris from your home's gutters -- by hand, by scraper or spatula, and finally by a good hose rinse -- so that winter's rain and melting snow can drain. Clogged drains can form ice dams, in which water backs up, freezes and causes water to seep into the house, the Insurance Information Institute says. As you're hosing out your gutters, look for leaks and misaligned pipes. Also, make sure the downspouts are carrying water away from the house's foundation, where it could cause flooding or other water damage.

2. Block those leaks
One of the best ways to winterize your home is to simply block obvious leaks around your house, both inside and out, experts say. The average American home has leaks that amount to a nine square-foot hole in the wall, according to EarthWorks Group.
First, find the leaks: On a breezy day, walk around inside holding a lit incense stick to the most common drafty areas: recessed lighting, window and door frames, electrical outlets. Then, buy door sweeps to close spaces under exterior doors, and caulk or apply tacky rope caulk to those drafty spots. Outlet gaskets can easily be installed in electrical outlets that share a home's outer walls, where cold air often enters. Outside, seal leaks with weather-resistant caulk. For brick areas, use masonry sealer, which will better stand up to freezing and thawing.

3. Insulate yourself
Another thing that does cost a little money -- but boy, you do get the money back quick -- is adding insulation to the existing insulation in the attic. You need a minimum of 12 inches of insulation in your attic."

4. Check the furnace
First; turn your furnace on now, to make sure it's even working, before the coldest weather descends. A strong, odd, short-lasting smell is natural when firing up the furnace in the autumn; simply open windows to dissipate it. But if the smell lasts a long time, shut down the furnace and call a professional. It's a good idea to have furnaces cleaned and tuned annually. Throughout the winter you should change the furnace filters regularly (check them monthly). A dirty filter impedes air flow, reduces efficiency and could even cause a fire in an extreme case. Toss out the dirty fiberglass filters; reusable electrostatic or electronic filters can be washed.

5. Get your ducts in a row
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a home with central heating can lose up to 60% of its heated air before that air reaches the vents if ductwork is not well-connected and insulated, or if it must travel through unheated spaces. That's a huge amount of wasted money, not to mention a chilly house.
Ducts aren't always easy to see, but you can often find them exposed in the attic, the basement and crawlspaces. Repair places where pipes are pinched, which impedes flow of heated air to the house, and fix gaps with a metal-backed tape (duct tape actually doesn't stand up to the job over time). Ducts also should be vacuumed once every few years, to clean out the abundant dust, animal hair and other gunk that can gather in them and cause respiratory problems.

6. Face your windows
Now, of course, is the time to take down the window screens and put up storm windows, which provide an extra layer of protection and warmth for the home. Storm windows are particularly helpful if you have old, single-pane glass windows. Update windows when needed.

7. Don't forget the chimney
Ideally, spring is the time to think about your chimney, because chimney sweeps are going crazy in the fall. That said; don't put off your chimney needs before using your fireplace. A common myth is that a chimney needs to be swept every year," says Eldridge. Not true. But a chimney should at least be inspected before use each year.

8. Reverse that fan
Reversing your ceiling fan is a small tip that people don't often think of. By reversing its direction from the summer operation, the fan will push warm air downward and force it to recirculate, keeping you more comfortable.

9. Wrap those pipes
A burst pipe caused by a winter freeze is a nightmare. Prevent it before Jack Frost sets his grip: Before freezing nights hit, make certain that the water to your hose bibs is shut off inside your house (via a turnoff valve), and that the lines are drained. Next, go looking for other pipes that aren't insulated, or that pass through unheated spaces -- pipes that run through crawlspaces, basements or garages. Wrap them with pre-molded foam rubber sleeves or fiberglass insulation, available at hardware stores. If you're really worried about a pipe freezing, you can first wrap it with heating tape, which is basically an electrical cord that emits heat.

10. Finally, check those alarms
This is a great time to check the operation -- and change the batteries -- on your home's smoke detectors. Detectors should be replaced every 10 years, fire officials say. Test them -- older ones in particular -- with a small bit of actual smoke, and not just by pressing the "test" button. Check to see that your fire extinguisher is still where it should be, and still works.

Information provided by Alliance Disaster Kleenup Wheeling, IL