Five Steps to Fire Alarm Inspection

The five steps of fire alarm inspection are truly quite simple and could mean the difference between enough time to get out of your house and never being warned. The assessment reviews the type of device you have in your home, whether it has been properly installed according to proximity of sleeping areas and rooms of frequent steam or smoke that can cause false alarms. The regular check is also used to make sure the device(s) you have in place are well within the usefulness of its life span, clean and tested monthly, and the batteries changed annually.
United States Fire Administration clearly states that simply having an alarm in one's home just isn't enough. Since their wide spread use began in the 1970's they have prevented fire and smoke related deaths for thousands. Yet, there are still staggering numbers of losses that occur due to two factors: lack of devices and devices that do not work properly. The best way to prevent these injuries and deaths is to have the proper device, the proper number of devices for your size and configuration of home, to use them as directed and to complete a regular fire alarm inspection.

There are two types of devices and two ways to power the one you choose. There is the ion type that responds quickly to open flames, and the photoelectric type that is more responsive to smoldering fires so it's useful for small homes where frequent cooking and ion alarms don't mix. They can be powered by battery, electrical connection or both for backup. Now where is the best place to put your new alarm? Well, you can begin by making sure they are placed no closer than 4 inches from or 12 inches away from the ceiling and no closer than 3 feet from the occasionally smoky kitchen and the often steamy bathroom.

Proper placement of your device is critical to your family's safety. It is designed to wake you in a fire emergency this is why it was initially advised that you place them outside of bedrooms because during the day you are aware of the smell the smoke and can hear the crackle of burning materials. But once upon a time alarms placed outside of bedrooms was the sufficient rule. Nowadays we understand that alarms need to be placed strategically according to the location of sleeping areas and all appliances and construction components that can become overheated which include: the air conditioner, television, or fire place. Today placing the devices inside of the bedroom is critical for proper use. And keeping up with regular fire alarm inspection is what will keep the device working properly so that it can save your life one day. Regardless of where you sleep from one night to the next the alarm should be loud enough, flashy enough, and bright enough to wake you and get you out of the house in time.