You read a newspaper article about a tragic fire and think it can never happen to you because your smoke detector will alert you in time. But statistics show that some people are not as safe as they think.
According to a 1994 survey by the National Smoke Detector Project in collaboration with the National Fire Protection Association, 5 percent of detectors in households surveyed had dead batteries and 15 percent had missing or disconnected batteries or the necessary AC power was disconnected.
Most of the respondents’ explanations are understandable. The detector’s battery died and you didn’t have another handy to replace it, or you forget to go out and buy another one.
Often that annoying chirping sound that signals that the battery is dying comes in the wee hours of the morning.
“If the detector starts chirping at 3 a.m., that’s not a coincidence.” says Greg Smith, product manager for Ultralife Batteries. “That’s the time of the coldest ambient temperature in a house. If a battery is at the threshold of the end of its life, a drop in temperature of a couple of degrees can cause the voltage to drop.”
He adds: “We believe that at 3 a.m. people don’t go rummaging around to find another battery. They grab the nearest chair and rip the battery out and then go back to sleep. But then they forget to replace it.”
Then, of course, there is always that moment when you are cooking and an overabundance of smoke creates what is called a “nuisance alarm.” You disconnect the battery to stop the noise and never reconnect it.
Smith notes progress in two areas: “Some detectors have a hush feature so you can silence them in the event of a nuisance alarm, and some now have a battery that lasts 10 years.”
Besides the danger from smoke, home sweet home can be threatened by carbon monoxide. This gas, created by the incomplete combustion of flammable fuels such as coal, charcoal, gasoline and wood, is called the “silent killer” because it is odorless, colorless and tasteless.
“Smoke from a fire causes you to choke and cough,” notes Michael Cox, vice president of marketing and sales for American Sensors, “whereas carbon monoxide’s first effect is to put you to sleep.”
The alarm from a carbon monoxide detector would be enough to alert people to the presence of the deadly gas.
“The walls of our office are wallpapered with letters from families whose lives have been saved by carbon monoxide detectors and yet (detectors) still need more visibility,” says Cox. “We also think that detectors for explosive gases like natural gas and propane gas will start to take off. Raising consumer awareness is very important.”
A variety of new products to increase home safety are described below, including suggested retail prices. Contact the listed manufacturers for help in finding a retailer in your area that carries a specific item.
– Playhouse plus. American Sensors has a cute and clever way to teach families how to protect themselves from fire and carbon monoxide. Inside a sturdy cardboard playhouse, they have packaged a smoke alarm, a carbon monoxide detector and an extension cord with a FlatPlug that is flush with the wall and has a sturdy cord. The playhouse opens to reveal colorful rooms with indicators on where to put the products in the home. A toy Dalmatian named Safety is also tucked inside the house along with informational materials on what to do in case of an emergency.
American Sensors has also introduced a plug-in carbon monoxide alarm that features a built-in night light, as well as a natural gas and a propane gas detector. Price: $50 to $100 for the Safety House, depending on the models of products included; $46.50 for the Carbon Monoxide Alarm and Night Light; $50 each for the natural gas and propane detectors. American Sensors, 100 Tempo Ave., Toronto, Ontario, Canada M2H 3S5; call 888-695-9762.
– Double protection. The Double Sensor from First Alert offers extra protection. It contains one sensor to detect fires that burn rapidly and spread quickly and another to detect slow fires that can smolder for a long time before bursting into flame. According to the National Fire Protection Association, either type of sensor is effective on its own in detecting smoke, a combination of both is preferable.
The Double Sensor has an 85-decibel alarm, a warning alert that sounds when the battery is low and a separate test button to check each detection system. First Alert also manufactures the Escape Light Smoke Alarm, which incorporates a bright beam that acts as a beacon to safety in the dark during a fire. This alarm can be tested with the beam of a flashlight, so you don’t have to climb up onto a chair or ladder to push a test button.
In addition, the First Alert series offers a 10-year lithium power smoke alarm that will last 10 years without any need to change the battery. It is equipped with a button to silence nuisance alarms. Because all smoke detectors should be replaced after 10 years, First Alert includes a sticker to put on their products to remind you of when it’s time to install a replacement. Price: $30 for the Double Sensor Smoke Alarm; $22 for the Escape Light Smoke Alarm; $26.99 for the 10-Year Lithium Power Smoke Alarm. First Alert, 3901 Liberty Street Rd., Aurora IL 60504; call 630-851-7330.
– Long-lasting. A smoke detector is no good if its batteries are dead or if they have been removed and never replaced, so Ultralife has developed a lithium 9-volt battery with a 10-year warranty. Although the batteries may cost more initially, the long-term cost is lower because fewer replacement batteries are needed. Price: $7.99. Ultralife Batteries Inc., 160 Summit Ave., Montvale, NJ 07645; call 800-332-5000.
– Home on the range. Pyro Control has introduced Range Queen, which has been developed to eliminate the panic that might ensue when a fire ignites on the top of the stove. It’s a can about the size of a hockey puck that attaches with a magnet to the inside of a vent hood. If there is a direct flame or a temperature of 227 degrees Fahrenheit, the can will pop open and release siliconized bicarbonate of soda, which will smother the fire.
Just in case no one is in the kitchen when the fire breaks out, the can sounds a warning alarm when it opens. The powder is nontoxic and can be cleaned up with a vacuum cleaner and a wet rag. Two cans of Range Queen are needed to cover four burners. Price: $24.59 per unit; mail order only. Pyro Control, 2721 White Settlement Rd., Ft. Worth, TX 76107; call 888-616-PYRO.
– On target. A new fire extinguisher from Kidde Safety is effective on all the common kinds of fires, including oil, gas, electrical equipment, wood, paper and cloth. The hose of the extinguisher is flexible to make it easier to aim. A free “Welcome to a Safer Home” brochure is available by contacting the company. Price: $24.95. Kidde Safety, Consumer Service, 1394 S. Third St., Mebane, NC 27302; call 800-880-6788.
– Daily checkup. Aim Safety Home Products says its carbon monoxide detector is the first of its kind to meet the standards of the International Approval Services, which are more stringent than those of Underwriters Laboratory. The Aim detector features an automatic checking system, which verifies every day that it is responding properly to carbon monoxide. It responds only to carbon monoxide, and not to hair spray, household cleaners or other materials that can trigger false alarms.
The triangular-shaped detector runs on heavy-duty batteries that never need to be changed because they will last the lifetime of the unit, at least five years. Because the unit does not have to be plugged into an electrical source, it will continue to function during power outages. Its digital displays provide a variety of useful information, including the current level of carbon monoxide and when the highest level occurred so that it’s possible to discover what event probably triggered the high reading. Price: $79.99. Aim Safety Products Ltd., 8403 Cross Park Dr., Unit 1A, Austin, TX 78754; call 800-ASK-4AIM.
