FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT SMOKE ALARMS

• Where can I buy a smoke alarm?
• How can I be sure that I am buying the right kind of alarm?
• Which type of smoke alarm should I choose?
• How much does a smoke alarm cost?
• How do I install a "standard" smoke alarm?
• Where is the best place to put a smoke alarm?

SOME COMMON SMOKE ALARM FEATURES

• Standard battery alarm
• 10-year battery alarm
• Battery alarm with hush or silencer button - negates nuisance alarms
• Battery alarm with emergency light
• Mains-powered or "hard wired" alarm
• Mains-powered smoke alarm combined with strobe light and vibrating pad - ideal for people with hearing impairment
• Mains-powered alarm which plugs into a light bulb socket

SMOKE ALARM MAINTENANCE
UNWANTED ALARM SIGNALS THAT ARE A NUISANCE
TRUE OR FALSE? - common public misconceptions
CARBON MONOXIDE

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT SMOKE ALARMS

Where can I buy a smoke alarm?    [back to top]
You can buy smoke alarms from DIY stores, hardware and electrical shops and from many supermarkets and convenience stores. If you have access to the Internet you can also buy them online.

How can I be sure that I am buying the right kind of alarm?   [back to top]
There are several types and models to choose from, depending on your needs and budget. If you have difficulty hearing, for example, you can buy one with a vibrating pad or flashing light. Whichever type or model you choose make sure it meets British Standards (BS) 5446 Part 1 and carries the British Standard Kitemark.

Which type of smoke alarm should I choose?   [back to top]
There are two main types of smoke alarms defined by their operating principles, they are: ionisation alarms and optical alarms.

IONISATION ALARMS are the cheapest and most readily available on the market. They are very sensitive to 'flaming' fires, such as chip-pan fires, and will detect this type of fire before the smoke gets too thick.
How do they work?
• A tiny radioactive source causes ionisation of air in the sampling chamber causing flow of a small electrical current.
• Smoke particles are attracted to these ionised particles slowing them down, reducing the current, triggering an alarm response.
• The radioactive source is sealed and so small as to be of no danger in normal use, after use dispose of it properly.
• Advantages, cheap and responds quickly to flaming fires.
• Disadvantages, less sensitive to slow burning smouldering fires.
• Prone to false alarms from cooking fumes.

OPTICAL ALARMS are more expensive. They are more effective at detecting slow-burning fires, such as smouldering foam-filled furniture and overheated electrical wiring. Optical alarms are less likely to go off accidentally, and are best for ground-floor hallways, and for homes on one level.
How do they work?
• Light source shines onto a photoelectric cell. When smoke enters the detector it obscures the light causing an alarm response in the detector.
• Advantages, sensitive to slow developing smouldering fires.
• Disadvantages, more expensive and less sensitive to rapidly developing flaming fires.

Because both slow-burning and 'flaming' fires are common, having one ionisation alarm and one optical alarm would seem to provide the best protection. However, this is unnecessary as all modern smoke alarms are very sensitive indeed.

How much does a smoke alarm cost?   [back to top]
A basic, battery-operated smoke alarm can cost as little as £3.00 and a hard wired heat detector head designed to be hard wired into a fire alarm panel as much as £30. The more features a smoke alarm has, the more it will cost.

How do I install a "standard" smoke alarm?   [back to top]
Fitting a standard smoke alarm will only take a few minutes and is a straightforward job. However, like all DIY jobs please bear a few simple points in mind:
• Consider where the alarm is to be sited (see next section on siting)
• Assemble tools and equipment required
• Remember to take care, particularly if you normally need help with jobs around your home.
• Beware of potential hazards such as hidden cables and pipes and take suitable precautions to ensure your own safety and of those around you.
• Follow the manufacturer's instructions when fitting the alarm.
• Follow the manufacturer's instructions when testing and maintaining the alarm throughout its life
• Keep the manufacturers instructions in a safe place in case you need to refer to them in the future.

Where is the best place to put a smoke alarm?   [back to top]
The best place is on the ceiling, as near as possible to the centre of the room, hallway or landing. It should be at least 12 inches (30 centimetres) away from any wall or light. If your accommodation is dimensionally challenged (such as a bed-sit) and you cook in the same room that you live in, then you may be put off by smoke alarms because they give a lot of unwanted signals due to cooking fumes.
In this case, before you buy, consider which type of alarm is most suitable to your life style (i.e. one with a hush button) and consider where it would be best sited to protect your escape route.

Don't put a smoke alarm:
• Where it can't be heard when you are asleep;
• In the kitchen or bathroom - it could be accidentally triggered by cooking fumes or steam;
• In a garage - it could be triggered by exhaust fumes; or
• On a shelf or in a drawer. Smoke rises straight towards the ceiling and will set off the alarm more quickly if the device is fixed on the ceiling , this gives you the earliest warning of a fire signal and therefore maximum time to react.

SOME COMMON SMOKE ALARM FEATURES

Standard battery alarm   [back to top]
The battery powered ionisation model (see above) is the most basic and cheapest alarm available. The battery powered optical version is a little more expensive. Both are fitted with a 9-volt Nickel cadmium battery, which needs testing weekly and changing every year.
Never take the battery out even for temporary use (i.e. in a remote control or a childs toy)
Never use "rechargable" batteries, then do not last long and can fail very quickly without giving the low battery warning chirps. Always replace batteries immediately that you hear the warning chirps.

10-year battery alarm   [back to top]
This alarm is available in ionisation and optical form and fitted with long-life Lithium batteries or a sealed power pack that should last for 10 years. For the extra costs, this type of smoke alarm provides you with longer-term protection, and means you don't have to keep changing the battery although you must still check that it works weekly.

Battery alarm with hush or silencer button - negates nuisance alarms   [back to top]
All of the above alarms can be bought with an extra facility, a 'hush' button which, when you press it, silences the alarm for a short time (normally 7 minutes, allowing products of combustion to clear) for example while you are cooking.
The alarm either 'chirps' every 30 to 40 seconds to remind you that it is in hush mode, or a red light flashes every 10 seconds. If there is a real fire giving off a lot of smoke, the hush system will be overridden and the warning alarm will sound.
If you get a lot of unwanted fire alarm signals at the moment consider whether your alarm could be re-sited. If you cannot re-site it consider replacing it with a rate of rise or fixed temperature heat detector.
The former will only activate if the rate of heat rise exceeds a predetermined rate and/or a maximum pre-set temperature. The latter will allow a fast rate of heat rise in the kitchen but will go off at a predetermined temperature.

Battery alarm with emergency light   [back to top]
You can get this alarm in ionisation and optical form. If the alarm activates, and there is a power failure, the emergency light may help you to see more clearly in the area around the smoke alarm itself. It may also be helpful for people with minor hearing difficulties but is no substitute for people with profound hearing difficulties who require purpose designed equipment. This type of alarm should be used in conjunction with, and not instead of a home escape plan.

Mains-powered or "hard wired" alarm   [back to top]
Note - it is not possible to link standard battery powered alarms
These look and work like self-contained alarms, but are powered from the domestic electric supply with a rechargeable battery back-up. A mains-powered alarm is not plugged into an electrical socket, but wired into the a home electrical lighting circuit. 1mm 2 twin and earth lighting cable is used to collect power from a lighting ring. The same type of cable is then used to interconnect the series of smoke alarms. This type of system is must be installed by a qualified electrician. The system can even use wireless technology by using a fire alarm panel.

The advantages of this type of system include:
An activation of any detector head causes all alarms to sound thus giving earliest warning of a remote fire signal allowing the maximum time to respond. Particularly useful in larger premises or for those who are hard of hearing.
No batteries to replace (but you must still test and maintain)

Component parts of the system range from £17 for a smoke alarm head to £30 for a heat detector head. All homes built since 1992 (about 1.5 million new homes) are legally required to be fitted with a basic mains-powered alarm on each floor level.

If your home doesn't have mains-powered smoke alarms, and you are having electrical work carried out for other reasons, why not ask your electrician about installing this form of long lasting fire protection?

Mains-powered smoke alarm combined with strobe light and vibrating pad - ideal for people with hearing impairment    [back to top]

Many people whose hearing is not severely impaired are still able to hear a conventional smoke alarm. It is a good idea to link two or more alarms (see inter-linked alarms above). This way smoke detected in the living room will set off another alarm in the bedroom. A properly qualified electrician may be able to advise you about linking smoke alarms.

For people who would not be able to hear a conventional smoke alarm there are special devices available. These devices make use of a vibrating pad (may go under a pillow) or flashing light (by a chair or bed side) instead of the auditory signal - the vibrating pad alarms are particularly useful for deaf-blind people.

These devices are available from:

The alarm is mains powered with a Lithium back up battery. Advantages in use, particularly for the less able bodied, include an alarm test, hush and reset feature operated by flicking the light switch in a set sequence. Possible disadvantages include choice of location is limited to existing light sockets and certain types of lampshade limit the effectiveness of the alarm.
Note - As of August 2001 this particular alarm does not conform to BS 5446 Part 1.

SMOKE ALARM MAINTENANCE    [back to top]
Once an alarm is installed you should test and maintain it regularly to make sure it is working properly. Many fire deaths and injuries happen each year because a battery was missing or needed replacement.

• Once a week
Test each alarm by pressing the test button and holding it until the alarm sounds.

• Once a year
Change the battery in the alarm (unless it is a 10-year alarm or hard wired).

• Twice a year
Carefully open the alarm case (if designed to do so) and gently vacuum the inside using the soft-brush attachment, to remove dust from the sensor chamber. If the alarm case doesn't open, vacuum over the slots to suck out any dust. Never paint over a smoke alarm.

• Replacement
As well as doing normal battery checks, it is best to replace smoke alarms with completely new units after 10 years. If you previously fitted just the basic model, this is an opportunity to install longer-life smoke alarms with more useful features.

UNWANTED ALARM SIGNALS THAT ARE A NUISANCE   [back to top]
If an alarm goes off it is only doing its job!. If it keeps going off it may have been put in an unsuitable place, for example either in or too near the kitchen where it can be set off by steam or smoke from cooking.

NEVER become complacent about smoke alarm signals by thinking "it is just another false alarm" ALWAYS react as though a fire alarm signal is genuine.

False alarms can also be triggered by summer insects, small amounts of smoke from open fires in the hearth, candle smoke, or by a build-up of dust and dirt as a result of poor maintenance.

If the alarm goes off quite often and is a nuisance, please try moving it somewhere where it will still protect your escape route but will not be subject to fumes etc that will cause unwanted fire alarm signals, or, better still replace it with a 'hush button' alarm.

Whatever you do, NEVER disconnect or remove the battery or tape a cover over the smoke alarm to prevent unwanted alarm signals. Fire & Rescue Service investigations have proved that these actions have been the last thing that people have done before dying in a fire.

Warning: if your smoke alarm starts to 'beep', you should replace the battery as soon as possible, there are no excuses. If it is a 10-year alarm the whole unit will need to be replaced.

TRUE OR FALSE? - common public misconceptions   [back to top]
These are common public misconceptions. The answers may give the opportunity for you to provide fire education

If there's a fire I'll have time to get out
FALSE - Don't rely on it - especially if there's a fire at night. The smoke and fire gases could overcome you and you may never even wake up (Carbon Monoxide). A smoke alarm will wake you, giving you time to react and GET OUT, STAY OUT and GET THE FRS OUT.

I live in rented accommodation so my landlord is responsible for fitting a smoke alarm.
FALSE - In fact, landlords aren't under any legal obligation to do so unless the premises have been built since 1992. All homes built since 1992 (about 1.5 million new homes) are legally required to be fitted with a basic mains-powered alarm on each floor level.
If you live in rented accommodation ask your landlord to supply smoke alarms and a carbon monoxide alarm (on moral grounds). Ask for proof that electrical items provided have been subject to small appliance testing for electrical safety and that power supply distribution boards have life protection power cut outs.
Also ensure that heating equipment (gas and electric portable heaters, boilers etc) has been serviced annually as required and that gas-tight flues are properly provided and maintained.
If your landlord won't consider the safety of his/her tenants then move out immediately and report the landlord to your local fire station as a fire risk.

I smoke, so the smoke alarm will be a nuisance by always going off
FALSE - Cigarette, cigar and pipe smoke doesn't normally set off a smoke alarm, but smokers do need to take extra care to reduce the risk of fire when using and disposing of smoking materials.

CARBON MONOXIDE KILLS! YOU CAN'T SEE IT, TASTE IT, OR SMELL IT    [back to top]

What is it?
Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas. It can be given off by appliances which burn gas, oil, coal or wood if they're not working properly. This deadly gas can be produced if your appliance is faulty, the room is not properly ventilated or the chimney/flue is blocked.

What are the danger signs?
· Gas flames that normally burn blue, burning orange or yellow instead.
· Sooty stains on or just above appliances.
· Coal or wood fires that burn slowly or go out.

What should you do?
· Get your appliances checked for safety every year by a competent engineer (make sure they are CORGI registered if you have a gas appliance).
· Ensure your home is properly ventilated - never block vents.
· Make sure all chimneys and flues are regularly swept and kept clear.
· If you're buying a carbon monoxide detector, look out for one which complies with BS 7860. Never rely entirely on these devices.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Gas
Health and Safety Executive
Gas Safety Advice Line
Tel: 0800 300 363

Solid fuel - coal and wood
Solid Fuel Association
Tel: 0800 600 000

Oil
Oil Firing Technical Association for the Petroleum Industry
Tel: 01737 373311

If you develop any of the following unexplained symptoms - drowsiness, headaches, chest pains, giddiness, sickness, diarrhoea and stomach pains - switch off your appliances and see your doctor at once.