By Gary Dymski
Newsday
A few winters ago, I was painting two first-floor rooms when a smoke alarm started acting up. In the middle of the night, for no apparent reason, one of the first-floor devices sounded off, waking the entire family.
In the absence of fire and smoke, I was perplexed: Why did the smoke alarm malfunction? After a bit of research, I discovered that drying paint fumes had activated the alarm. After a couple more false readings — and some interrupted sleep — I installed new smoke alarms throughout the house.
Why change all the alarms when it appeared only one — mounted on the ceiling in one of the painted rooms — was giving false readings? Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, two important household safety devices, have lifespans of five to 10 years, and our alarms were installed by the builder when the home was built in 1996. It was time for new alarms.
According to a 2004 survey by the National Fire Protection Association, 96 percent of American households have at least one smoke alarm. In those homes — even when the alarm is inoperable — the death rate because of smoke and fire is 40 percent to 50 percent less than in homes without alarms. The biggest reason for an inoperable smoke alarm, according to the survey, is dead batteries.
Unlike smoke, which can be seen, carbon monoxide is called the “silent killer.” A byproduct of incomplete combustion — in fossil-fuel or wood-burning appliances, such as stoves, furnaces and water heaters — carbon monoxide is an odorless gas that kills more than 500 people annually, according to Underwriters Laboratories, the Illinois-based product safety and testing group.
When exhaust gases from these appliances are not vented to the outdoors properly, fumes can sneak into living spaces and cause illness and death.
Every year I seem to come across a news story or two where a death could have been avoided if only someone would have paid attention to a beeping smoke alarm or a carbon monoxide detector. In 2000, I remember reading about a Nassau County homeowner who unplugged his carbon monoxide detector one evening because he thought it was giving false readings. When he came home the next morning from his night-shift job, he found six people dead from carbon monoxide poisoning, including his parents, his daughter and her babysitter.
Here are some simple tips for proper operation and maintenance of smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors:
Test frequently. Each device has a testing procedure. For smoke alarms, monthly testing often is recommended by the manufacturer and safety organizations. Carbon monoxide detectors should be tested weekly. In most cases, testing means depressing a button until the alarm sounds and then goes silent.
Replace batteries. Installing new batteries every fall, when daylight savings time ends, is a good idea. Battery-operated alarms often beep intermittently for up to seven days to signal weak batteries.
Clean the alarms. Dust and grime can cover the outside grill of a smoke alarm or carbon monoxide detector. Vacuum and then wipe away grime.
Feel for clues. Flu-like symptoms, including headaches and dizziness, can be a sign of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Finally, don’t ignore or disconnect alarms. If a smoke alarm or carbon monoxide detector is beeping, there’s usually a valid reason.
An advantage to owning a newer home is that its smoke alarms are hard-wired and interconnected. This means that when one smoke alarm is activated, all of them are activated. In addition, these hard-wired alarms have battery backup, for when the house’s electricity supply is not working because of a power outage.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Although they are inexpensive — smoke alarms cost less than $10 and carbon monoxide detectors run between $20 and $50 — many Americans neglect to maintain or replace these devices.
Here are some Web sources for buying, installing and maintaining smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors:
Underwriters Laboratories: www.ul.com/fall safety/smoke_alarms .html and www.ul.com /fallsafety/co.html
Home Safety Council: homesafetycouncil.org /safety_guide/safety guide.aspx
National Fire Protection Association: nfpa.org Searches for “carbon” and “smoke alarms” bring up a list of fact sheets.
Consumer Products Safety Commission: cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs /5077.html