Get alarmed to protect your home
Consider this dangerous, but common scenario — a homeowner deactivates a sounding smoke or carbon monoxide (CO) alarm and leaves the device disabled, opening up the entire household to a high-risk potential for undetected hazards.
According to the Canadian National Fire Information Database, 80 per cent of fire deaths occur in homes without working smoke alarms, often due to missing alarm batteries or expired alarms. Fortunately, a new generation of home safety technology, combined with tried-and-true safety practices, can help keep homes and families safer from the threats of smoke, fire and CO.
Here are tips to keep your family and home safe:
Be safe, replace
On average, smoke alarms have a useful life of 10 years, while typical CO alarms should be replaced after five to seven years. If you can’t think of when you installed your alarms, chances are, it’s time to replace them. Installing new ones ensures you are protected with the most advanced smoke sensing technologies and the latest safety features available.
Double-up on safety
There are two main types of smoke alarms, photoelectric and ionization, which use different technologies to sense smoke and fire. Ionization smoke alarms are generally more responsive to fast-flaming fires, while photoelectric smoke alarms are generally more responsive to smoldering fires that generate a lot of smoke but little heat. The Canada Safety Council recommends installing both types of alarms or dual sensor alarms because they provide the best potential for early detection of all types of common household fires.
Go for a 10
One of the greatest advancements in alarm technology in recent years has been the development of new 10-year sealed battery alarms, such as the First Alert Dual Sensor 10year Alarm, which features both photoelectric and ionization sensors to deliver maximum protection from any type of fire. In addition, 10-year alarms provide hassle-free protection, so you no longer need to remember to replace batteries. They also eliminate the risk of having an alarm deactivated due to battery removal.
Cover your bases
Even if you have smoke and CO alarms in your home, you and your family may not be sufficiently protected if you don’t have enough devices. To ensure the highest level of protection, install alarms in or near every bedroom and on every level of a home, including the basement. (NC)