**Hello all on FFN, please bear in mind this is originally posted on my blog. Therefore, the formatting will likely be different here than on the blog. To view the optimized version of this post, and other posts, as well as accessing lots of great information from some great resources, check out my blog page:

http://firepsg.blogspot.com.

Furthermore, I understand I am posting this here to many of you who are professionals in the field. Please keep in mind, I post these for the good of public knowledge, and in no way am I trying to educate you, but perhaps you can still learn a thing or two =)

Thank you for your time and support. Now on to the good stuff:

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Before you read, you should already know:



*Have one smoke detector on every level of your house, one outside every sleeping area.
*Test your smoke detectors at least once a month.
*Replace your smoke detectors once every 10 years at MOST.
*Happy New Year!




Let's be perfectly honest, no one likes sudden, loud, ear piercing noises. Especially ones that just don't seem to stop. So what is a typical reaction? Right. To make the sound stop.

Fine.

What if it's an ear piercing noise that is alerting you and could save your life by telling you to get the heck out of wherever you are? That's another story. So let's be reasonable human beings, why in the world would someone disable a device that is there for the sole protection of the life of you and your family? All for the sake of removing a noise that shouldn't happen all that often to begin with?


Look at this way, if an alarm is going off, whose fault is it? The alarm? or your own?


So really, we need those devices, called Smoke Detectors, to alert us and, quite frankly, save us from ourselves should we be at fault for a fire.


Great. Now we see where this is going. Those circular shaped objects located on the ceiling of our homes are smoke detectors. They should not be taken for granted. They WILL save your life. I am creating this post today to not only validate the importance of these devices, but what you can do to minimize those "false" a.k.a "nuisance" alarms, which is usually the result of human error anyway. Furthermore, this post will emphasize on the different types you can use, and ideal spots to place them. Ready? good.

Now, importance has been more or less discussed. Therefore, we'll move along...

So, why smoke detectors?


To put it simply, smoke detectors realize the presence of smoke and alert you. Smoke is what will likely kill you, not the fire. If placed correctly and maintained, they will alert you early if there is smoke, and you can take the proper action.


Dealing with "Nuisance" Alarms:


This is the part people usually want to hear about, so here it goes.


Under no circumstances, should you disable, tamper, remove, block or take out batteries from Smoke Detectors just because they create "nuisance" alarms and annoy you! This is a big no-no, and you are putting yourself, and everyone who dwells in the same area at risk of losing their lives!


Instead, use the solutions posted below!


Every alarm is usually a nuisance alarm to somebody, a disruption in one's life, an ear-piercing menace, an alarm due to cooking with oil thus creating high smoke density. As far as the latter goes, there is not much that can be done if you cook often with oil but to open the windows and let the smoke vent out. But for other situations, things can be done. Now, if your smoke detectors are hard-wired, then it will require a little more work. However, unless you know what you're doing, you shouldn't tamper with it, especially if it's hardwired to a company that notifies the Fire Department for you. If that is the case, notify your alarm company and ask them what the proper procedures are.


Please bear in mind with the following solutions, they are more like guidelines. There are indeed many variables to take into account with Fire Protection devices, dwellings, room shapes and sizes, ventilation, fire growth, smoke density etc.


Use proper judgment, and take the proper action. I'm sure you already know that you should have one smoke detector on EVERY level of your house, one outside every sleeping area which should also be close enough to the kitchen.


Solution #1: Use Photoelectric Smoke Detectors


There are two primary types of smoke detectors, Ionization and Photoelectric. Without getting technical, one is actually more sensitive than the other in terms of cooking. If you live in an older dwelling, then chances are you have an ionization smoke detector. If you get constant "nuisance" alarms, then first ensure which smoke detector you are using, if it is ionization, then replace it with a photoelectric smoke detector. The reason is, Ionization smoke detectors are more sensitive to cooking smoke and gases, unlike photoelectric. This should help your situation as far as cooking goes.


In reality, there are many different types of detectors and variables to list one set of solutions, and which is better than the other. However, this route should be taken over simply taking the hammer to your smoke detector.


Canadian Tire, or similar stores, now carry smoke detectors with remotes! So now you can just push a button to stop the alarm, but PLEASE, only use it when you KNOW it's a "nuisance" alarm.


You can tell if an alarm is photoelectric by taking a close look at it and identifying the following:


*A capital letter "P"
*The word photoelectric


Also bear in mind, this does not mean that photoelectric detectors are better than ionization! They both have their advantages and disadvantages. Simply put, ionization are better at detecting fast growing fires and photoelectric are better at detecting smoldering fires. Solution? Get a combination one =)


Solution #2: Place your Smoke Detector(s) in different locations


This is where having battery operated smoke detectors as opposed to hardwired ones has the definite advantage.


If you get quite a few "nuisance" alarms, and you have already switched to photoelectric ones, then your next best bet is to switch the location of your smoke detector(s). That is not to say, place them in some random location on the opposite side of the room though.


Adjust it incrementally, still bearing in mind where you should have it placed ideally. Move it a little farther away from the kitchen, that is generally the idea.


Keep the following in mind when moving around your smoke detector(s):


*If you keep it placed on the wall just below the ceiling, be sure it's anywhere from 4" up to 12" below the ceiling.
*Ceiling height, shape and surface
*Room/space volume
*Normal/Abnormal Tmperatures
*Draft conditions/ventilation (created by windows, AC units, HVAC etc.)
*Air velocity (Same as above)




Keep in mind, smoke is hot, it travels straight up and starts to accumulate at the ceiling, that is why all the above factors are important. Do not place your smoke detectors beside windows or ventilation, the incoming draft of air could interfere with the smoke and shed off precious seconds needed for you to be notified by the smoke detector.


As far as residential goes, the smoke detectors are usually placed in ideal locations, so try to stick to the same area, but again, use your good judgment and make the call.


Solution #3: Evaluate your cooking methods


When all else fails, evaluate how you cook. Seriously.


If you use a lot of oil in your cooking, then think about the type of oil you are using. When buying oil, keep in mind that different oils have different viscosity and chemical compositions, and therefore, different smoking/flash points. Bearing that in mind, use oils that have higher smoking/flash points. This will create less smoke, and combined with other solutions stated above, you should be really minimizing your "nuisance" alarms.


But remember, when you are awake and cooking is not the only time fires can start. Fire is a deadly, silent killer. It is fast, it is hot, it will kill you. But the smoke is what usually kills. It is unpredictable, and if you are smart enough to know not to tamper with your smoke detectors, then they could potentially save your life.


Check your local stores, buy them. You can buy combination ones, even with integrated carbon monoxide detectors. The investment is definitely worth your life.


I hope that this post will help many of you, please stay fire safe. Keep your smoke detectors in good working order.


Start the new year with a good mindset and attitude, have fun, work hard, and stay safe!

Any feedback, suggestions and constructive criticism are always appreciated. Also, join FirePSG on facebook and/or follow it on twitter! You can access the links from my blog. Thanks!

Daniel J Rocha
Student of Fire Protection Technology @ Seneca College
djrocha@learn.senecac.on.ca
http://firepsg.blogspot.com