One of the most accessible safety features to forget about in your home is your smoke detectors. We forget about them until that deafening alarm reminds us about that piece of toast we set too long or a holiday meal we forgot in the oven. Smoke detectors are one of the essential safety features in your home, and American Restoration Water & Fire has some tips on choosing the right ones for your home and how to use them.
Knowing which type of smoke detectors are out there is a great place to begin:
- Ionization Alarms: These alarms detect invisible fire particles
- Photoelectric Alarms: These alarms detect visible fires, more commonly associated with the smoke part of the fire.
Some manufacturers will offer these smoke detectors with dual sensors and dramatically increase your chances of a safe escape. The National Fire Protection Association indicated that nearly half of the nation’s fire-related deaths occur in 4% of homes that did not utilize smoke detectors.
Our American Restoration technicians understand that they may seem intimidating little devices, but they are very user-friendly and easy to install and operate. We highly recommend the following to keep you and your family safe:
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- Homeowners should install smoke detectors in every room of your home; this includes upstairs and downstairs bedrooms, common areas, and the hallways outside of bedrooms.
- Smoke detectors should be replaced a minimum of every ten years and can be purchased from your local hardware stores.
- Follow the manufacturer’s recommended testing and battery replacement instructions.
American Restoration Water & Fire’s last recommendation is to consider coming up with a fire escape plan if your family has small children. Fires can happen when you least expect them, so preparing your small children or grandchildren will give them and yourselves a sense of security if a fire is to break out in your home. For bedrooms that may be upstairs, purchasing a window escape ladder for fire emergencies is also a great option and can be purchased online. For more fire safety and prevention tips, you can visit the NFPA site. American Restoration Water & Fire has technicians available for your restoration needs 24/7.
