Not All Smoke Alarms Are the Same

According to the North Eastern Ohio Fire Prevention Association, almost four decades of research has shown that the most popular smoke alarm, which is in 90% of homes in America, is failing at an alarming rate.

The ionization smoke alarms found in most homes is quick at detecting fast flames but what about the precious minutes beforehand when your home is filling up with thick toxic smoke?

The Photoelectric smoke alarms are MUCH faster at detecting smoldering fires, the most common and deadly type of house fires. They are designed to detect smoke from smoldering fires faster than ionization alarms and are comparable in performance in fast flame fires to ionization alarms. Photoelectric alarms are also less likely to generate nuisance false alarms from cooking and steam that cause people to disable their smoke alarms and then forget until an emergency arises.

To determine the type of alarm you are currently using, look for an ‘i’ for Ionization or a ‘p’ for Photoelectric. If both symbols are represented, this is a Dual-Sensor detector and has both photoelectric and ionization alarms.

To keep you and your family safe in case of a fire, be sure to perform regular maintenance on your smoke alarm by checking the alarm each month, replacing batteries once a year, cleaning off any dust accumulation, and replacing  your smoke alarms every 10 years.

For more information on smoke alarms and smoke alarm safety, visit opens in a new windowwww.neofpa.org/smoke-alarms.