|
|
February Promotion!
|
|
|
|
10% Discount on Orders over $300
15% Discount on Orders over $800
|
|
(Discount taken from "our price" automatically calculated)
| (888) 947-3473
(888) 947-FIRE
|
|
Fire Prevention FAQs provided by Kidde
1) When do I need to replace my smoke & fire alarms?
Smoke & Fire alarms need to be replaced every ten years. The life of
an AC powered alarm is 8-10 years.
2) Are there different kinds of smoke & fire alarms for each area of
the home?
There are two types of smoke alarms:
ionization and photoelectric. Ionization units are best at detecting fast
flaming fires that give off little smoke. Photoelectric are the fastest at
responding to slow smoldering, smoky fires and are less prone to cooking false
alarms, than ionization models. Ionization units are better in humidity areas
such as a hallway outside a bathroom. Photoelectric are the best type for a
kitchen.
It is advisable to install a smoke alarm with a hush button to instantly
silence nuisance alarms that result from burnt toast, steam and other
non-emergencies. A hush button eliminates the need to remove batteries to
silence the alarm.
3) How often should I test my smoke alarm, and when do I need to
change the batteries?
They should be tested monthly or per the manufacturer's
instructions. If you can't reach the test button, use a broom handle. The
batteries should be replaced twice a year, or sooner if the low battery
indicator chirps. A good rule-of-thumb is to replace the batteries at the same
time you change your clocks for daylight savings time. Clean the alarm by
removing from the mounting bracket, and vacuum using the soft brush
attachment, or wipe with a clean, dry cloth. After cleaning, reinstall and
test, using the test button.
4) Where should smoke & fire alarms be installed?
For minimum coverage, a smoke & fire alarm should be installed on
every level of the home, and in each sleeping area. For maximum protection, an
alarm should be installed on every level, including basements and finished
attics, every bedroom, in the hallway outside of every sleeping area, at the
top and bottom of stairways and in rooms that are frequently used. (see diagram below)
5) What kind of fire extinguisher do I need for my home and auto?
The following ratings are applicable to fire extinguishers: Class
A-Fires of ordinary combustibles or fibrous materials, such as wood, paper,
cloth, rubber and some plastics. Class B-Fires of flammable or combustible
liquids such as gasoline, oil grease, tar, flammable gases, oil based paints
and paint thinners. Class C-Fires of energized electrical equipment, such as
appliances, wiring, fuse boxes, switches and power tools. Extinguishers that
are made to put out more than one class of fire are marked with multiple
ratings such as AB, BC, ABC. It is recommended that most homes have an ABC
fire extinguisher for general use and a BC fire extinguisher for
kitchen/garage use.
6) Where do fire extinguishers need to be installed?
The National Fire Protection Association recommends you have at
least one extinguisher for every 600 square feet of living area. Fire
extinguishers should be installed on every level of the home and in the
kitchen, garage and basement. Locate in plain sight, but out of the reach of
small children. Place near an escape route, and away from stoves and heating
appliances. They should also be installed in your car, boat and RV.
7) Is there a way to tell if my fire extinguisher needs replacing?
Check the pressure gauge and inspect the extinguisher once a month,
or more frequently, if exposed to weather, or possible tampering. The pointer
on the gauge must be in the green area to work properly.
8) How do you operate a fire extinguisher?
Fire extinguishers can limit property damage if used properly. Using
the PASS method of fire extinguisher operation helps effectively extinguish a
fire before it spreads. When using the following procedure make sure your back
is to an exit, and stand six to eight feet away from the fire. P-Pull the pin
A-Aim at the base of the fire, staying at least 6 feet away. S-Squeeze the
handle S-Sweep the base of the fire from side-to-side
9) Do I need fire escape ladders in my home?
Fire escape ladders should be in every occupied room with a window,
on each floor above the main level.
10) How do I install a fire escape ladder? Where should fire escape
ladders be stored?
They should be installed according to the manufacturer's
instructions to fit the window. Escape ladders come packed in an easy to store
box that fits neatly under a bed. They should be kept close to the window.
Wireless Technology FAQS
OVERVIEW
Q: What is the Kidde Wireless System?
A: The Kidde Wireless System is an interconnected system that links smoke alarms and
accessories together so that when one alarm sounds, they all sound. This
provides more warning in more places, giving families more time to escape a
fire.
Q: What products are included with the Kidde Wireless System?
A: The Kidde Wireless System currently includes three components: a wireless
battery-powered smoke alarm, an AC-powered smoke alarm and a wireless
SmokeSounder. These components work together to enable homeowners to customize
their family's fire protection system based on their individual needs.
Q: How are the alarms and accessories connected?
A: The Kidde Wireless System
components communicate via radio frequency waves, similar to other consumer
products such as cell phones, walkie-talkies and garage door openers. The
Consumer Product Safety Commission recently stated radio frequency is one of
two of the most promising wireless technologies for linking smoke alarms.
Q:Why did Kidde choose Radio Frequency over other wireless technologies?
A: Extensive research indicated that radio frequency would most effectively
enable homeowners to quickly and easily install an interconnected system, or
expand their current system at a relatively low cost.
Q: How is the Kidde Wireless System different from a traditional smoke alarm system?
A: Conventional smoke alarm systems must be wired into a home's electrical system
in order to be interconnected, and are usually installed during a home's
construction. To retrofit a conventional interconnected alarm system into an
existing home can involve extensive time and labor costs for rewiring. The
Kidde Wireless System provides any home with the advanced level of protection
of an interconnected system – when one alarm sounds they all sound.
Q: How do I tell if my home has an interconnected system?
A: Testing to see if your home's smoke alarms are interconnected is easy. Simply press the test button on one of your smoke alarms; if every alarm in the home sounds, then your
alarms are interconnected. If only the alarm that you're testing sounds, then
you do not have interconnected smoke alarms. Keep in mind that just because a
smoke alarm is hardwired doesn't mean it's interconnected.
HOW THE KIDDE
WIRELESS SYSTEM WORKS
Q: What is the furthest distance through which the units
can communicate?
A: Every home presents obstacles that can affect the
transmission efficiency of a wireless system. However, extensive field-testing
has shown that the Kidde Wireless System is very capable of transmitting in
all reasonable environments. It is always important to test wireless units
after installation to make sure they work properly.
Q: Should homeowners be concerned with this system interfering with other wireless systems in the
home?
A: No. The Kidde Wireless System transmits on a band that the Federal
Communications Commission has dedicated to industrial, scientific or medical
equipment. The band's regulations limit transmission times and power unless a
life safety alarm occurs. Therefore, the band is mostly silent.
Q: What about my neighbor's wireless systems?
A: All Kidde wireless alarms are programmed with a unique code to prevent a neighbor's alarm system from activating other systems. There are 256 different identification settings for each alarm
system.
Q: How will I know which unit initiated the alarm?
A: Kidde Wireless
smoke alarms are equipped with an initiating alarm memory. The wireless smoke
alarm that first detects the hazard and initiates the response will have a
flashing green LED as well as sound an alarm. The other smoke alarms triggered
by the initiating alarm will also sound, but will not have a green flashing
LED.
Q: Do you have to change the batteries more often in a wireless smoke
alarm?
A: Kidde's battery-operated wireless smoke alarms meet UL requirements
--meaning the battery must provide power for at least one year under normal
operation. However, Kidde recommends testing the alarms monthly and changing
batteries as needed. The smoke alarms have a low battery chirp that will
signal when the battery needs to be replaced. The SmokeSounder will verbally
alert you when its battery needs to be replaced.
Q: Who will benefit most from this technology?
A: Three types of homeowners will benefit most from a
wireless smoke alarm system:
1. Families that live in homes built before 1993,
or that do not have interconnected smoke alarms. More than 84 million homes in
America do not have interconnected smoke alarms. The Kidde Wireless System
allows these homes to have the most advanced level of protection available.
2.
Families whose homes have interconnected smoke alarms, but that want more
protection. The National Fire Protection Association recommends that every
home have a smoke alarm in every bedroom and on every level. But nearly 15
million American homes do not have enough smoke alarms to meet that
requirement. The Kidde Wireless System can help families expand their current
system into rooms that are now under-protected.
3. Families with children,
older adults or others who may need additional warning. Voice warnings can be
more effective at waking children who sleep through the sound of a traditional
smoke alarm, and a lower frequency tone can be more effective at waking those
who cannot hear the alarm's tone due to high frequency hearing loss [often
age-related]. The Kidde Wireless SmokeSounder has a loud voice that clearly
states the danger present, followed by a low frequency alert. It has been
specifically designed to provide additional warning for those most at risk.
Furthermore a caregiver can place the SmokeSounder in their bedroom for more
warning and more time to help their family.
Q: Why should a homeowner choose
wireless over traditional smoke alarms?
A: A family has only three minutes
from the time the first smoke alarms sounds to escape a house fire. The sooner
you hear the smoke alarm, the more time you have to escape. If smoke alarms
are not interconnected, a family on the second floor may not hear the alarm
beeping on the first floor. The Kidde Wireless System links smoke alarms
together so that when one alarm sounds, they all sound, providing more warning
in more places, and giving a family more time to escape.
INSTALLING THE KIDDE
WIRELESS SYSTEM
Q: How does the cost of the Kidde Wireless System relate to that of a hardwired interconnected system?
A: New homes must have
interconnected smoke alarms, and the cost of wiring that system is
incorporated into the overall construction cost of the home. However, families
that want to add a traditional, hardwired, interconnected system to an
existing home will incur substantial costs due to the time and labor for
rewiring. The CPSC has stated that wireless technology is a lower cost
alternative to installing interconnected smoke alarms when retrofitting is
involved.
Q: How easy is this product to install?
A: Installation is
relatively simple. The battery-powered alarms can be installed in any room in
a matter of minutes – no wiring required. You simply screw the mounting
bracket into the ceiling just as you would a traditional smoke alarm. The AC–
powered smoke alarm can be used to extend an existing interconnected system or
to upgrade hardwired alarms into a wireless interconnected system. The
adaptors sold with the unit make it simple to replace existing hardwired units
with wireless smoke alarms. The SmokeSounder simply plugs into any electrical
outlet anywhere in the bedroom or other room. Its battery backup feature
offers protection during power outages.
Q: Are all of these products UL-Listed?
A: Both smoke alarms are UL listed to the UL217 smoke alarm
standard. The SmokeSounder's power supply is also UL listed.
Q: Why is the SmokeSounder a critical part of my home fire safety system?
A: On average, a family will have three minutes from the time a smoke alarm activates to escape a house fire. Due to the lower frequency and voice warning, a SmokeSounder, in
conjunction with a Kidde wireless smoke alarm, provides additional means of
notifying individuals, particularly children and older adults, in the event of
a fire.
Q: Does the lower frequency mean it is not as loud?
A: No, it means
that the SmokeSounder's pitch is lower than the pitch of a traditional smoke
alarm. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) states that the sound of a
traditional smoke alarm -- about 3500-4000 Hz -- may be too high to awaken
those with high-frequency hearing loss. The Consumer Product Safety Commission
reports that lowering an alarm's frequency to less than 2000 Hz may make the
sound more audible for a larger percentage of older adults. The Kidde
SmokeSounder has a frequency of 1000 Hz.
Q: Does the SmokeSounder detect smoke
or fire?
A: The SmokeSounder will not detect smoke or fire. It must be used in
conjunction with one of the wireless smoke alarms.
AVAILABILITY/LIFESPAN
Q:
When will the Kidde Wireless system be in stores?
A: June 2005. Eventually,
you will be able to find it wherever Kidde products currently are sold. Fire
experts recommend a smoke alarm in every bedroom and on every floor. For
example, for a family with two children, in a two-story home with three
bedrooms, the need for wireless units might vary widely:
Situation A:
Battery-powered smoke alarms on each level of the home. Purchase a Kidde
Wireless Smoke Alarm to replace each current smoke alarm, and additional Kidde
Wireless Smoke Alarms for bedrooms that need protection. For extra warning,
plug a SmokeSounder into an electrical outlet in both children's rooms, and
perhaps the master bedroom.
Situation B: Hardwired smoke alarms on each level
of the home. Purchase one Kidde Wireless AC-powered Smoke Alarm for every
current smoke alarm and replace each. In addition, purchase Kidde Wireless
battery-powered smoke alarms for installation in bedrooms and other rooms that
need protection. For extra warning, plug a SmokeSounder into an electrical
outlet in both children's rooms, and perhaps the master bedroom.
Situation C: Hardwired, Interconnected smoke alarms . Purchase only one Kidde Wireless
AC-powered smoke alarm and use it to replace only one existing smoke alarm.
The wireless smoke alarm acts as a bridge between the home's current system
and Kidde Wireless products. You may then purchase additional Kidde Wireless
battery-powered smoke alarms for bedrooms that need protection. For extra
warning, plug a SmokeSounder into an electrical outlet in both children's
rooms, and perhaps the master bedroom.
Q: What is the lifespan of Kidde Wireless products?
A: 10 years
|
|