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Public Service Announcement for YOU - Smoke Detectors and HVAC

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It's that time of the year again, time for some IMPORTANT updates:

First, It's time to change the filters in your HVAC system after the Summer and get it ready for Winter. Don't forget to vacuum the registers and check your humidifier to make sure it's adding moisture for the heating season.

Second, and the MOST important. Time to replace the batteries in all Smoke Detectors and CO Detectors. You do this every year, right?

Oh wait, I see some of you have your smoke detectors hanging like this, because it was chirping:

batteries-missing-from.jpg

Really.... REALLY!!!   I can't believe it.

So, get your step ladder out, and change those batteries!! Wait, what, you don't have enough batteries? You're kidding, right?

You have 1000's of rounds of ammo stored but not enough batteries for all your smoke detectors??  I'm shocked!!

OK, so RIGHT NOW, if you're using Tap-A-Talk or accessing the forum from your phone, send yourself a text or an email as a reminder to change the batteries. Even better, send your wife or significant other the text or email, so they will bug you to do it!

I certainly hope I don't see anything like this one below, where you took the detector down because it was beeping....

no-smoke-detector-wires.jpg

 

Come on.... really????

OK, go get in the car, RIGHT NOW, and drive to Home Depot and buy a new detector....

I'm sure none of you want your house to look like this one, with YOU in it, because your detectors weren't working right?

house-fire.jpg

 

OK, so now everyone has sent the text or email, wrote a big sticky, or leaving right now for Home Depot...... RIGHT??

Good.... my job is done here... Remember, the Life you Save will be Your Own!!

changeclock.jpg

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Some of the newer smoke detectors come with 10 year batteries built in. Guess how long a smoke detector lasts... 10 years (or less). 

By code (since the 80’s I think) your detectors should be hard wired.  This is good since without that an activation in the basement could go unheard until it gets bigger.    At least one in common area on every floor and one in every bedroom. 

Another thing. Get CO detectors. Either ones that are combined with your smokes or separate.   CO can kill... quietly. Get the loud beepy thing. 

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1 minute ago, voyager9 said:

By code (since the 80’s I think) your detectors should be hard wired.  This is good since without that an activation in the basement could go unheard until it gets bigger.

Many are hardwired, but they still have backup batteries in them, in case of a power failure.

2 minutes ago, voyager9 said:

and one in every bedroom. 

THIS IS REALLY AN IMPORTANT POINT!! It also should be a combo unit, smoke and CO.

3 minutes ago, voyager9 said:

Get the loud beepy thing. 

I just love these really technical terms!  :)

 

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4 minutes ago, Sniper22 said:

Many are hardwired, but they still have backup batteries in them, in case of a power failure.

Agreed. I should have been more clear. The code has changed several times (bat only, hardwire only, now both). 

We will go in for smoke detector  activation and find the homeowner still has the unit from when the home was built 25 years ago.  Eyes are rolled and explanations given. Really no excuse. 

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38 minutes ago, voyager9 said:

Some of the newer smoke detectors come with 10 year batteries built in. Guess how long a smoke detector lasts... 10 years (or less).

Since you mentioned it even if you have smoke/heat detectors that are integrated into a security system like Honeywell or Ademco panel (which are now one in the same) the smokes themselves should be changed. These of course would be powered by the panel but if they have been in there longer than 10 years its time for them to go as well.

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I concur....PLEASE change your smoke detector batteries every 6 months, and if you don’t have a fire extinguisher on EVERY floor of your house, plus the kitchen, GET ONE!

 

Earlier this year I put out a fire at my neighbors house..they didn’t have WORKING smoke detectors, or fire extinguishers. 

They DO now. So should you. 

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17 minutes ago, FXDX said:

Since you mentioned it even if you have smoke/heat detectors that are integrated into a security system like Honeywell or Ademco panel (which are now one in the same) the smokes themselves should be changed. These of course would be powered by the panel but if they have been in there longer than 10 years its time for them to go as well.

Some of the newer Honeywell systems are actually wireless, so yes, the batteries need to be checked on them or complete units replaced.

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I replaced the ones I had 3 that were old with the nest smoke/CO detectors, They are hard wired with battery back up. Have a built in night light sensor that lights up at night when you walk past it, and light up bright in case of fire..does a once a month self test. With a monthly report by email and phone. Hope I never have to write that they worked great, but they seem to be doing there job near the kitchen when something got smoky. 

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22 minutes ago, Sniper22 said:

Some of the newer Honeywell systems are actually wireless, so yes, the batteries need to be checked on them or complete units replaced.

yep, been that way for a while and that's just normal maintenance like door, window and glass brake contacts batteries. in general your panel will supervise the batteries and let you know when to change them. my point was the smokes themselves need to be changed regardless if it wired or wireless

 

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43 minutes ago, Bklynracer said:

I replaced the ones I had 3 that were old with the nest smoke/CO detectors, They are hard wired with battery back up. Have a built in night light sensor that lights up at night when you walk past it, and light up bright in case of fire..does a once a month self test. With a monthly report by email and phone. Hope I never have to write that they worked great, but they seem to be doing there job near the kitchen when something got smoky. 

I like the idea of the Nest units. But at >$100 per its a tad price prohibitive.  

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7 minutes ago, voyager9 said:

I like the idea of the Nest units. But at >$100 per its a tad price prohibitive.  

I thought the same thing at first, after you look at the better units with Smoke and CO, It was more but not crazy money. 

 then my wife said I want them and you can't  put a price on life. That was the deciding statement.

 

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3 hours ago, Bklynracer said:

but they seem to be doing there job near the kitchen when something got smoky. 

Hopefully that wasn't you doing burnouts in the kitchen?

2 hours ago, Bklynracer said:

 then my wife said I want them and you can't  put a price on life.

Or put a price on "I want them".... they always win...

 

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4 hours ago, Bklynracer said:

Hope I never have to write that they worked great,

That's another great point.

Besides having WORKING smoke and CO detectors, does everyone have an action plan if yours go off?

Do you have multiple ways to exit a room if one way is blocked by fire?

Do all the occupants know their role in case of a fire? Who grabs what when exiting (kids, animals, important papers, your log in to NJGF).

Who's calling 911?

Will you attempt to put the fire out on your own, do you have working fire extinguishers in the right places and know how to use them?

Do all family members know a common meeting place when outside to verify everyone got out safely?

Got fire insurance, even if you're a renter?

Pre-planning is the key to fire prevention. Running around like a chicken with your head cut off when the room is filled with smoke and the detectors are screaming isn't the time to put together a plan.

 

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Pre-plan. 

Exit strategy. KNOW how to escape the fire, wherever it is in your house. 

Know who is going to call 911. 

Know where the muster point is. 

HAVE a plan for every contingency. Above all, get out. 

 

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7 hours ago, voyager9 said:

Some of the newer smoke detectors come with 10 year batteries built in. Guess how long a smoke detector lasts... 10 years (or less). 

By code (since the 80’s I think) your detectors should be hard wired.  This is good since without that an activation in the basement could go unheard until it gets bigger.    At least one in common area on every floor and one in every bedroom. 

Another thing. Get CO detectors. Either ones that are combined with your smokes or separate.   CO can kill... quietly. Get the loud beepy thing. 

...that is assuming you have anything actually on natural gas. =)   

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