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You should use both battery-powered and direct-wired 120-volt AC-powered
smoke alarms. Since A SMOKE ALARM WILL NOT WORK WITHOUT POWER,
having alarms that will work from two different power sources can give
you extra protection in case of a dead battery, or an AC power failure.
Using a smoke alarm in a smoky area like a kitchen, or in a high humidity
area near a shower, can cause false alarms. DO NOT REMOVE YOUR
BATTERY TO QUIET THE ALARM. DO NOT TAKE THE ALARM DOWN. DO
NOT SHUT OFF THE POWER TO THE ALARM. IF YOU HAVE A FALSE ALARM,
TRY WAVING A TOWEL NEAR THE ALARM TO CLEAR THE SENSING
CHAMBER. A SMOKE ALARM WILL NOT HELP PROTECT YOU IF IT IS NOT
POWERED, OR THE UNIT IS REMOVED. An alarm with a FALSE ALARM
CONTROL feature should be used to minimize these nuisance alarms,
where allowed by state and local codes.
A SMOKE ALARM MAY NOT ALWAYS WARN YOU ABOUT FIRES CAUSED
BY CARELESSNESS OR SAFETY HAZARDS SUCH AS SMOKING IN BED,
VIOLENT EXPLOSIONS, ESCAPING GAS, IMPROPER STORAGE OF
FLAMMABLE MATERIALS, OVERLOADED ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS,
NATURAL CAUSES SUCH AS LIGHTNING, CHILDREN PLAYING WITH
MATCHES AND ARSON. Fire prevention is your best safeguard.
Installing smoke alarms may make you eligible for lower insurance rates,
but SMOKE ALARMS ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR INSURANCE. Home-
owners and renters alike should continue to insure their lives and properties.
WHERE YOU SHOULD INSTALL YOUR
SMOKE ALARMS
The National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) Standard 74, Section 2-1
provides information regarding the smoke detection equipment required
within the family unit.
Section 2-1.1.1 reads as follows:
“Smoke detectors shall be installed outside of each separate sleeping
area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms and on each additional
story of the family living unit including basements and excluding crawl
spaces and unfinished attics.
The provisions of 2-1.1.1 represent the minimum number of detectors
required by this standard. It is recommended that the householder consider
the use of additional smoke or heat detectors for increased protection for
those areas separated by a door from the areas protected by the required
smoke detectors under 2-1.1.1 above. The recommended additional areas
are the living room, dining room, bedroom(s), kitchen, attic (finished or
unfinished), furnace room, utility room, basement, garage (attached or
unattached), and hallways not included in Section 2-1.1.1 above. However,
the use of additional detectors remains the option of the householder.”
This equipment should be installed in accordance with the National Fire
Protection Association’s Standard 74, NFPA, Batterymarch Park, Quincy,
MA 02269.
THIS STANDARD MEANS YOU SHOULD INSTALL AND USE A SMOKE
ALARM IN EVERY ROOM AND AREA OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD OR BUILDING
FOR GOOD PROTECTION.
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WILL HELP YOU SAFELY LOCATE YOUR SMOKE
ALARMS:
• Do install your smoke alarms in accordance with all applicable laws,
regulations, standards and codes.
• Do install a smoke alarm in the hallway outside of every bedroom
area. If the bedroom has a door, there must be a smoke alarm inside
and outside the bedroom. See Figure 1. If your home or residence
has two bedroom areas, a smoke alarm must be placed outside the
second bedroom area, and inside the bedroom(s) if they have doors.
See Figure 2.
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