Did you know...?

I was just having a conversation with my daughter about the reality of smoke alarms. Little did she know that smoke alarms are an essential element to the home. You do not get home insurance without them. I think she was a little taken aback by this but she does have common sense and it did come clear to her why this is the case. Knowing that she probably isn't alone in the world...by not knowing this critical piece of information made me realize that there are many others out there who might now know this, which brings me to my blog for today; the importance of smoke alarms!

The stats are sad; residential fires account for 73% of all fire-related deaths (fiprecan.ca). Whatever the case may be; the alarm didn't go off because the batteries were removed or have died or aren't working properly or maybe it was the wrong kind of smoke detector...it is very important to make sure that you have the right equipment and that it is in working order.

You should have at least one ionization type smoke alarm. These are the first to respond to fast flaming first that consume combustible materials quickly and spread rapidly. These are the kind of fires that produce a lot of heat and not a lot of smoke. These kinds of fires come from cooking meals with a lot of grease or fat or where there are a lot of easily flammable materials, i.e. office (papers), workshops (solvents, paint), etc. With that said; it is wise to put this kind of smoke alarm in these areas.

Another type of smoke alarm is photoelectric. These alarms detect slow smouldering fires. This is the kind of alarm that we are most familiar with...when you burn toast or are frying something. You must remember that when you are in a fit of annoyance due to the noise of the alarm and shut it off by removing the batteries...you are only doing yourself and injustice. You should keep this kind of alarm close to slow burning material like fabrics (living rooms, bedrooms and kitchens), etc.

Some helpful advice for ya....
1. Have one of each detector on each floor of your home.
2. Replace the batteries every year...no matter what!
3. Test the alarms monthly.
4. Replace the alarms every 5 years.