Limitations Of Smoke Alarms - Kidde P3010K-CO User Manual

CONTENTS OF THIS USER'S GUIDE
1 — LIMITATIONS OF SMOKE AND CARBON MONOXIDE ALARMS
2 — RECOMMENDED LOCATIONS FOR ALARMS
3 — LOCATIONS TO AVOID
4 — INSTALLATION / MOUNTING INSTRUCTIONS
5 — OPERATION AND TESTING
6 — VISUAL AND AUDIBLE INDICATIONS
7 — NUISANCE AND HUSH
8 — BATTERY
9 — DEACTIVATION OF ALARM
10 — CLEANING
11 — GENERAL CARBON MONOXIDE (CO) INFORMATION
12 — GOOD SAFETY HABITS
13 — SERVICE AND WARRANTY
This alarm detects products of combustion using photoelectric technology
and carbon monoxide using an electrochemical cell. Many times throughout
this User's Guide, we will refer to Carbon Monoxide as "CO."
This alarm is acceptable for use near kitchens or cooking areas but can
be used in all other residential applications where a smoke or CO alarm is
required.
After ten (10) years of cumulative power up, this unit will "chirp" two times
every 30 seconds. This is an "operational end of life" feature which will indi-
cate that it is time to replace the alarm.
To help identify the date to replace the unit, a label has been affixed to the
side of the alarm. Write the "Replace by" date (10 years from initial power
up) in permanent marker on the label prior to installing the unit.
Product Features and Specifications:
• Temperature: Operating Range: 40°F (4.4°C) to 100°F (37.8°C)
• Humidity: Operating range: 10-85% non-condensing
• Audible Alarm: 85+ dB at 10' @ 3.4±0.5 KHz pulsing alarm
• Smoke Sensor: Photoelectric
• CO Sensor: Electrochemical
Two labels have been provided that have important information on what
to do in case of a CO alarm. Place one label next to the alarm after it is
mounted, and one near a fresh air source such as a door or window.

1. LIMITATIONS OF SMOKE ALARMS

WARNING: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY AND THOROUGHLY
• NFPA 72 states: Life safety from fire in residential occupancies is based pri-
marily on early notification to occupants of the need to escape, followed by
the appropriate egress actions by those occupants.
• Fire warning systems for dwelling units are capable of protecting about half
of the occupants in potentially fatal fires. Victims are often intimate with
the fire, too old or young, or physically or mentally impaired such that they
cannot escape even when warned early enough that escape should be pos-
sible. For these people, other strategies such as protection-in-place or assisted
escape or rescue are necessary.
• Smoke alarms are devices that can provide early warning of possible fires at a
reasonable cost; however, alarms have sensing limitations. Ionization sensing
alarms may detect invisible fire particles (associated with fast flaming fires)
sooner than photoelectric alarms. Photoelectric sensing alarms may detect
visible fire particles (associated with slow smoldering fires) sooner than ion-
ization alarms. Home fires develop in different ways and are often unpredict-
able. For maximum protection, Kidde recommends that both Ionization and
Photoelectric alarms be installed.
• A battery powered alarm must have a battery of the specified type, in good
condition and installed properly.
• Smoke alarms must be tested regularly to make sure the battery and the
alarm circuits are in good operating condition.
• Smoke alarms cannot provide an alarm if smoke does not reach the alarm.
Therefore, smoke alarms may not sense fires starting in chimneys, walls, on
roofs, on the other side of a closed door or on a different floor.
• If the alarm is located outside the bedroom or on a different floor, it may not
wake up a sound sleeper.
• The use of alcohol or drugs may also impair one's ability to hear the smoke
alarm. For maximum protection, a smoke alarm should be installed in each
sleeping area on every level of a home.
This alarm is not intended to alert hearing impaired individuals.