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ABOUT SMOKE ALARMS
Batter
y (DC) operated Smoke Alarms:
Pr
ovide protection even when
electricity fails, pr
ovided the batteries are fresh and correctly installed.
Units are easy to install, and do not require professional installation.
AC powered Smoke Alarms: Can be interconnected so if one unit sens-
es smoke, all units alarm. They do not operate if electricity fails.
AC with battery (DC) back-up: will operate if electricity fails, provided
the batteries are fresh and correctly installed. AC and AC/DC units must
be installed by a qualified electrician.
Smoke Alarms for Solar or Wind Energy users and battery backup
power systems:
AC power
ed Smoke Alarms should only be operated
with true or pur
e sine wave inverters. Operating this Smoke Alarm with
most battery-powered UPS (uninterruptible power supply) products or
squar
e wave or “quasi sine wave” inverters
will damage the Alar
m
.
If you ar
e not sure about your inverter or UPS type, please consult with
the manufacturer to verify.
Smoke Alar
ms for the hearing impaired:
Special purpose Smoke
Alarms should be installed for the hearing impaired. They include a visual
alarm and an audible alarm horn, and meet the requirements of the
Americans With Disabilities Act. Can be inter
connected so if one unit
senses smoke, all units alarm.
Smoke alar
ms are not to be used with detector guards
unless the
combination has been evaluated and found suitable for that purpose.
All these Smoke Alarms are designed to provide early warning of fires if
located, installed and car
ed for as described in the user’s manual, and if
smoke reaches them. If you are unsure which type of Smoke Alarm to
install, refer to Chapter 2 of the National Fire Protection Association
(NFP
A) Standard 72 (National Fire Alarm Code) and NFPA 101 (Life Safety
Code). National Fire Protection Association, One Batterymarch Park,
Quincy, MA 02269-9101. Local building codes may also require specific
units in new construction or in dif
fer
ent areas of the home.
SPECIAL COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS
This Smoke Alarm alone is not a suitable substitute for complete fire
detection systems in places housing many people—like apartment
buildings, condominiums, hotels, motels, dormitories, hospitals, long-
term health care facilities, nursing homes, day care facilities, or group
homes of any kind—even if they were once single-family homes. It is not
a suitable substitute for complete fire detection systems in warehouses,
industrial facilities, commercial buildings, and special-purpose non-resi-
dential buildings which require special fire detection and alarm systems.
Depending on the building codes in your area, this Smoke Alarm may
be used to provide additional protection in these facilities.
The following information applies to all four building types below:
In new construction, most building codes require the use of AC or AC/DC
powered Smoke Alarms only. In existing construction, AC, AC/DC, or DC
powered Smoke Alarms can be used as specified by local building
codes. Refer to NFPA 101 (Life Safety Code) or NFPA 72 (National Fire
Alarm Code), local building codes, or consult your Fire Department for
detailed fire protection requirements in buildings not defined as “house-
holds.”
1. Single-Family Residence:
Single family home, townhouse. It is recommended Smoke Alarms be
installed on every level of the home, in every bedroom, and in each
bedroom hallway.
2. Multi-Family or Mixed Occupant Residence:
Apartment building, condominium. This Smoke Alarm is suitable for use
in individual apartments or condos, pr
ovided a primary fir
e detection
system already exists to meet fire detection requirements in common
areas like lobbies, hallways, or porches. Using this Smoke Alarm in
common ar
eas may not pr
ovide suf
ficient war
ning to all r
esidents or
meet local fire protection ordinances/regulations.
3. Institutions:
Hospitals, day care facilities, long-term health care facilities. This Smoke
Alarm is suitable for use in individual patient sleeping/r
esident r
ooms,
provided a primary fire detection system already exists to meet fire
detection requirements in common areas like lobbies, hallways, or
porches. Using this Smoke Alarm in common areas may not provide
suf
ficient warning to all residents or meet local fire protection ordinances
/r
egulations.
4. Hotels and Motels:
Also boar
ding houses and dormitories. This Smoke Alarm is suitable for
use inside individual sleeping/resident rooms, provided a primary fire
detection system already exists to meet fire detection requirements in
common ar
eas like lobbies, hallways, or por
ches. Using this Smoke Alarm
in common areas may not provide sufficient warning to all residents or
meet local fire protection ordinances/regulations..
LIMITATIONS OF SMOKE ALARMS
Smoke Alarms have played a key r
ole in reducing deaths resulting from
home fir
es worldwide. However, like any warning device, Smoke Alarms
can only work if they are properly located, installed, and maintained, and
if smoke r
eaches them. They are not foolproof.
Smoke alar
ms may not waken all individuals.
Practice the escape plan
at least twice a year, making sure that everyone is involved – from kids to
grandparents. Allow children to master fire escape planning and practice
befor
e holding a fire drill at night when they are sleeping. If children or
others do not readily waken to the sound of the smoke alarm, or if there
are infants or family members with mobility limitations, make sure that
someone is assigned to assist them in fir
e drill and in the event of an
emergency. It is recommended that you hold a fire drill while family
members are sleeping in order to determine their response to the sound
of the smoke alarm while sleeping and to determine whether they may
need assistance in the event of an emergency.
Smoke Alarms cannot work without power. Battery operated units
cannot work if the batteries are missing, disconnected or dead, if the
wr
ong type of batteries are used, or if the batteries are not installed
correctly. AC units cannot work if the AC power is cut off for any reason
(open fuse or circuit breaker, failure along a power line or at a power
station, electrical fir
e that burns the electrical wires, etc.). If you are
concerned about the limitations of battery or AC power, install both
types of units.
Smoke Alarms cannot detect fires if the smoke does not reach
them.
Smoke fr
om fires in chimneys or walls, on roofs, or on the other
side of closed doors may not reach the sensing chamber and set off
the alarm. That is why one unit should be installed inside each bedr
oom
or sleeping ar
ea—especially if bedroom or sleeping area doors are
closed at night—and in the hallway between them.
Smoke Alarms may not detect fire on another floor or area of the
home.
For example, a stand-alone unit on the second floor may not
detect smoke fr
om a basement fire until the fire spreads. This may not
give you enough time to escape safely. That is why recommended mini-
mum protection is at least one unit in every sleeping area, and every
bedroom on every level of your home. Even with a unit on every floor,
stand-alone units may not pr
ovide as much protection as interconnected
units, especially if the fire starts in a remote area. Some safety experts
recommend installing interconnected AC powered units with battery
back-up (see “About Smoke Alarms”) or pr
ofessional fire detection sys-
tems, so if one unit senses smoke, all units alarm. Interconnected units
may provide earlier warning than stand-alone units since all units alarm
when one detects smoke.
Smoke Alarms may not be heard. Though the alarm horn in this unit
meets or exceeds current standards, it may not be heard if: 1) the unit
is located outside a closed or partially closed door, 2) residents recently
consumed alcohol or drugs, 3) the alarm is drowned out by noise from
stereo, TV, traffic, air conditioner or other appliances, 4) residents are
hearing impaired or sound sleepers. Special purpose units, like those
with visual and audible alarms, should be installed for hearing impaired
residents.
Smoke Alarms may not have time to alarm before the fire itself
causes damage, injury, or death, since smoke from some fires may
not reach the unit immediately. Examples of this include persons
smoking in bed, children playing with matches, or fires caused by
violent explosions resulting from escaping gas.
Smoke Alarms are not foolproof.
Like any electronic device, Smoke
Alarms are made of components that can wear out or fail at any time.
You must test the unit weekly to ensure your continued protection.
Smoke Alarms cannot prevent or extinguish fires. They are not a
substitute for pr
operty or life insurance.
Smoke Alarms have a limited life. The unit should be replaced
immediately if it is not operating properly. You should always replace a
Smoke Alarm after 10 years fr
om date of pur
chase. W
rite the pur
chase
date on the space provided on back of unit.
First Alert
®
is a r
egister
ed trademark of the First Alert T
rust.
Printed in Mexico M08-0067-004 J1 03/07