Install a smoke detector
A smoke detector reacts to even small amount of smoke and provides a danger alarm in good time.
Most of the fires that start in homes do so at night
when the family is asleep. It is probable that most people do not wake up because inhaling the poisonous gases which are produced by any such fire their sleep simply deepens.
A smoke detector reacts as soon as the initial phase of a fire has begun and wakes up any sleepers with a loud alarm signal. Every home should have at least one smoke detector.
How to use a smoke detector?
It is easy to install a smoke detector. The best solution is to fix the detector to the ceiling in the living room or hallway. While installing it, make sure that the smoke detector is at least half a metre away from the wall and all obstacles.
In order to improve safety, it is recommended that you install a smoke detector in all rooms, except in the kitchen and bathroom. Do not install the detector near any ventilation openings, or the upper end of the roof or garage.
A smoke detector uses a regular 9V battery as a power supply and provides notification when the battery is drained by sounding an intermittent bleep or other signal. In order to check the alarm, the test button should be pressed for five seconds, once a month. The smoke detector should give off an alarm signal. The smoke detector must be kept free of grease and dust.
Smoke detectors save lives
A fire can break out in a stone or brick house just as easily as in a wooden house. A smoke detector is necessary everywhere because it aids greatly in warning of a fire in good time. The safest thing to do is place a smoke detector in every bedroom and another in the hallway. However, even one smoke detector per home could also save your life. This one detector should be placed close to the bedroom door.
A smoke detector must be fixed in the ceiling in the middle of the room or above the bed, at least half a metre from the wall and lamp. In a house or apartment which contains several floors, a smoke detector should be placed on the upper part of the stairs for each floor. A smoke detector should not be near a stove, cooker, bathroom or fireplace, otherwise false alarms could result. No smoke detector should be placed in a cold, humid room such as a garage. In addition to this, any place in which the flow of air disturbs the work of the detector, such as in the immediate vicinity of ventilation windows or an air conditioner, is not suitable.
Only a fully functioning smoke alarm is of use. Therefore check the alarm’s functions once a month.
In the case of smoke alarms which are powered by replaceable batteries, each time you return after being away from home for any substantial period of time you should test the batteries to ensure they are still working. If the alarm works you will hear a signal after pressing the test button. A smoke detector provides notification of its batteries running out of power by emitting an intermittent bleep or other signal.
