The USFA (United States Fire Administration) reports that fires kill about 3,000 people and injure 20,000 every year, with most of these deaths occurring in homes without working smoke alarms. A smoke alarm detects fire particles in your home’s air and alerts you of the potential hazard. You can only be sure of protecting your family and property from fire if you place smoke detectors correctly. Keep reading to learn how to protect those you love.
Proper Smoke Alarm Placement
Smoke in one part of your house may not reach a detector in a different area. Therefore, it’s essential to have a sufficient number of properly located detectors.
It’s also worth mentioning that in home fires, occupants usually have just a few minutes to escape. Modern furnishings consist of fewer natural materials than older ones. As a result, fire can spread more rapidly in today’s homes. Having smoke detectors installed in appropriate locations assists in maximizing the escape time.
The following tips will help you install an adequate number of detectors in your house:
- Install one or more smoke alarms on every level of your home, including your basement.
- Install an alarm in each bedroom and outside every sleeping area.
- Smoke rises, so mount your alarms on ceilings or high on your walls.
- In the kitchen, ensure that your alarm is at least 10 feet from cooking appliances to minimize annoying false alarms.
- To ensure maximum detection of different types of fire, install both photoelectric and ionization smoke detectors. Photoelectric alarms detect smoldering fires faster, whereas ionization alarms are more sensitive to flaming fires.
- For best protection, interconnect all your smoke alarms. That way, when one sounds, all the others will sound as well.
By installing enough smoke detectors, you’ll significantly reduce the chances of you and your family suffering injuries or dying in a home fire. If you have any questions about home comfort and safety, contact us at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning. We help residents of the Lorain area create more comfortable homes by providing quality heating and air conditioning services.
Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area