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fire detection systems, 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 property or life insurance.
Smoke alarms have a limited life. The unit should be replaced immediately if it is not operating properly.
It is recommended you replace a smoke alarm after 10 years from date of manufacture. See back of smoke alarm
for manufacture date.
WHERE TO INSTALL SMOKE ALARMS
STROBE LIGHT
OUTPUT FOR WALL
90
AND CEILING
MOUNTING
The intensity of the strobe light
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gradually lessens as the angle
increases. In other words, the light
is brightest directly in front of the
strobe light and is progressively
less bright to either side. As
required by Underwriters
Laboratories Inc. (UL), the
following illustrations show how the strobe light is dispersed. Use them to help you choose where to locate units
for the hearing impaired.
INSTALLING SMOKE ALARMS IN SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENCES
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), recommends one smoke alarm on every floor, in every sleeping
area, and in every bedroom. In new construction, the smoke alarms must be AC powered and interconnected.
See "Agency Placement Recommendations" for details. For additional coverage, it is recommended that you
install a smoke alarm in all rooms, halls, storage areas, finished attics, and basements, where temperatures
normally remain between 40˚F (4˚C) and 100˚F (38˚C).
Make sure no door or other obstruction could keep smoke from reaching the smoke alarms.
Interconnected AC powered units for the hearing impaired. Minimum coverage is one unit on every level of
the home, plus one unit inside each bedroom/sleeping areas and in the hallway between them. For additional
protection, additional units should be installed in family rooms, dens, or other rooms your family uses often.
Recommended smoke alarms for the hearing impaired in new or existing home construction
BEDROOM
HALL
BEDROOM
LIVING ROOM
KITCHEN
FINISHED BASEMENT
SINGLE-STORY RESIDENCE, APARTMENT, MOBILE HOME
MULTI-STORY RESIDENCE
More specifically, install smoke alarms:
• On every level of your home, including finished attics and basements.
• Inside every bedroom, especially if people sleep with the door partly or completely closed.
• In the hall near every sleeping area. If your home has multiple sleeping areas, install a unit in each.
If a hall is more than 40 feet long (12 meters), install a unit at each end.
• At the top of the first-to-second floor stairway, and at the bottom of the basement stairway.
IMPORTANT!
Specific requirements for smoke alarm installation vary from state to state and from region to region.
Check with your local Fire Department for current requirements in your area. If you install AC or AC/DC units,
it is recommended they be interconnected for added protection.
Angle
Percent
90
(In Degrees)
Light Intensity
0
100
5-25
90
30-45
75
50
55
55
45
45
60
40
65
35
0
70
35
75
30
80
30
85
25
90
25
DINING ROOM
BEDROOM
KEY:
KITCHEN
REQUIRED TO MEET
NFPA RECOMMENDATIONS
RECOMMENDED FOR
ADDITIONAL PROTECTION
LIVING ROOM
BEDROOM
INSTALLING SMOKE ALARMS IN MOBILE HOMES
For minimum security install one smoke alarm as close to each sleeping area as possible. For more security, put
one unit in each room. Many older mobile homes (especially those built before 1978) have little or no insulation.
If your mobile home is not well insulated, or if you are unsure of the amount of insulation, it is important to install
units on inside walls only. Smoke alarms should be installed where temperatures normally remain between 40˚F
(4˚C) and 100˚F (38˚C).
AGENCY PLACEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
IMPORTANT!
This equipment should be installed in accordance with the National Fire Protection Association's Standard 72.
National Fire Protection Association, One Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02269-9101. Additional local building
and regulatory codes may apply in your area. Always check compliance requirements before beginning
any installation.
NFPA Standard 72 Section 2-2.1.1.1
2-2.1.1.1 Smoke alarms shall be installed outside of each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the
bedrooms and on each additional story of the family living unit, including basements and excluding crawl spaces
and unfinished attics. In new construction a smoke alarm shall also be installed in each sleeping room. Chapter 2
also reads as follows: 2-2.2.1: In new construction, where more than one smoke alarm is required by 2-2.1, alarms
shall be so arranged that operation of any one alarm shall cause the operation of all alarms within the dwelling. A-
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2.5.2.1 Smoke Detection-Are More Smoke Alarms Desirable? The required number of smoke alarms might not
provide reliable early warning protection for those areas separated by a door from the areas protected by the
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required smoke alarms. For this reason, it is recommended that the householder consider the use of additional
smoke alarms for those areas for increased protection. The additional areas include the basement, bedrooms,
dining room, furnace room, utility room, and hallways not protected by the required smoke alarms. The installation
of smoke alarms in kitchens, attics (finished or unfinished), or garages is not normally recommended, as these
0
locations occasionally experience conditions that can result in improper operation.
California State Fire Marshall
Early warning detection is best achieved by the installation of fire detection equipment in all rooms and areas of the
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household as follows: A smoke alarm installed in each separate sleeping area (in the vicinity, but outside
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bedrooms), and heat or smoke alarms in the living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, hallways, finished
attics, furnace rooms, closets, utility and storage rooms, basements, and attached garages.
2
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