Replace Smoke Alarms Every 10 Years

Replace Smoke Alarms Every 10 Years

The 2002 edition of NFPA 72 requires smoke ALARMS to be replaced not to exceed 10 years from installation. The 2007 Edition of NFPA 72 required replacement within 10 years of manufacture. The requirement is only for installation in singe and two-family dwellings. 

Fire Prevention Week campaign’s focus is on smoke alarms, more specifically:

      ·        Smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years.
·        Make sure you know how old all the smoke alarms are in your home.
·        To find out how old a smoke alarm is, look at the date of manufacture on the back of the alarm; the alarm should be replaced 10 years from that date.

Equally as important is to purchase a smoke alarm that has been approved by a nationally recognized third party testing laboratory, such as Underwriter Laboratories (UL) or Intertek/ETL. During the past few months, it has been discovered that online businesses have been selling inexpensive smoke alarms manufactured in China, that lack the proper testing. These untested products may not accurately detect fire, alert you properly, or perform other critical functions. Please do not confuse the household requirement for alarms with any for detectors (UL 268 type).  A few years back one unnamed manufacturer inadvertently stated in their technical data sheets that all detectors are to be replaced every 10 years. The Engineered Fire Alarm industry quickly responded that this statement was in error and the manufacturer immediately redesigned the spec data sheet for its detectors.  It is the intent of the Household Technical Committee that smoke ALARMS (UL 217) only are to be replaced within 10 years of manufacture.  One reason is that the sensitivity does change over time. NFPA 72 clause 29.10. 1 Unless otherwise recommended by the manufacturer's published instructions, single- and multiple-station smoke alarms shall be replaced when they fail to respond to operability tests or within 10 years from the date of manufacture.

FAQ about Replacing Smoke Alarms

Why do I need to replace my smoke alarms every 10 years?

It is required that smoke alarms be replaced within 10 years according to NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code. They are not permitted to remain in use longer than 10 year from the date of manufacture. Also, the manufacturer’s instructions for most smoke alarms state they are to be replaced when they fail to respond or after 10 years. Combination smoke/carbon monoxide alarms must be replaced when the end-of-life signal sounds or 10 years after the date of manufacture, whichever occurs first.

How do I identify my smoke alarm’s date of manufacture?

Remove the alarm from the ceiling or wall. Look at the back or side of the alarm for the date of manufacture.

How do I replace a battery-powered smoke alarm?

Remove the smoke alarm from the ceiling by twisting the alarm to remove it from the ceiling plate. It is best to replace the alarm with the same manufactured alarm. The new alarm from the same manufacturer can be placed on the ceiling or wall plate. Twist to secure the alarm. Test the alarm to be sure it is working.

If you are replacing with an alarm from a different manufacturer, you will need to remove the old ceiling plate and install the new ceiling plate included with the new alarm. Place the alarm over the ceiling plate and twist to secure the alarm. Test the alarm to be sure it is working.

How do I replace a hard-wired alarm?

If you know how to work with electrical wiring, follow manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure you have turned off the electricity to the smoke alarm before you begin replacing the alarm. Otherwise, contact a qualified electrician to replace hard-wired smoke alarms.

How do I install a hard-wired smoke alarm?

Contact a qualified electrician to install hard-wired smoke alarms.

Smoke alarms are to be replaced at 10 year intervals.  However Smoke detectors do not have a prescribed end of life and can stay in service as long as they past function and sensitivity tests. Please see http://www.systemsensor.com/en-us/Documents/Smoke-Detector_lifeExpectancy_techbulletin.pdf

We wish you a peaceful and safe holiday season, and an exciting, productive new year.

All about Internal Fire Hydrant System

All about Internal Fire Hydrant System 

We all dread unmanageable fire as it can cause destruction that is at times beyond repair. More awareness about the need to safeguarding our homes and valuable properties against any fire outbreak has encouraged people now to have fire alarm systems and other firefighting equipments at their homes or offices.

One of the necessary firefighting equipment is the fire hydrant. While it may not be seen as widely as an extinguisher, it is highly effective in dousing a full developed fire. Unfortunately, outdoor fire hydrants are fast disappearing from the Indian landscape as many civic authorities have failed to maintain and repair them on time.

So, should you invest in a fire hydrant? Yes, absolutely. In fact, you are legally obliged to do so. We are not talking about the vibrant red fire hydrants that is our usual image, but internal fire hydrants that are strictly required under the National Building Code. So, here is a short primer on fire hydrant systems India to help you along.

Nowadays, Indian manufacturers are offering such equipments of extremely good shelf life and affordable pricing. So, if you are on a hunt for firefighting equipments, then go for fire fighting equipments in India. Today, shops, educational institutions, banks, hospitals also have at least adequate number of fire extinguishers if not other comprehensive fire fighting equipments.

Need For Fire Hydrants

Fire hydrants act as a critical source of water when dealing with a developed fire. The location could be out of reach of sprinklers or it could be too developed for sprinklers or extinguishers to cope with. This is when firefighters step in. While firefighters have their own water tank, this can run dry very quickly. At such an eventuality, we need fire hydrants to boost the water supply.

Civic fire hydrants, run and managed by civic bodies, are found in public places. These are connected to the municipal water supply. Fire hydrants could be placed underground or overground. In India, the overground system is more common. Internal fire hydrants are different, placed in a building and often in-built in its construction. These hydrants are connected to the building dry and wet risers.

This is why fire hydrants are specifically mentioned in the National Building Code, which also specifies its supply mechanism, including water tanks and riser systems. High-rise buildings must, therefore, have an in-built fire hydrant system.

Parts Of Fire Hydrant Systems India

Water tanks: The fire hydrant system must have access to a water tank for a ready supply. The capacity of the tank is decided by the area and the number of risers. There are different type of tanks found on a property. These are:

1.   Static water tank: These are underground or on the surface and are built for water storage.

2.   Terrace tank: These tanks are made of plastic, concrete or cement. These are also meant for water storage.

3.   Priming tank: Unlike the other two tanks, the priming tank’s function is not water storage. This is a small tank, located above the firefighting pump. Its function is to ensure that the pumpcasing and suction is permanently flooded.

Pumps: The fire hydrants system cannot work without its pumps, which supply and regulate the water flow in the hydrant system. The various pumps here are:

1.   Fire pump: This is installed in the static tank to supply water to the wet-risers.

2.   Terrace pump: This is connected to the terrace tank. It has valves to regulate water supply from both ends. There should also be a pump panel attached to control its functioning.

3.   Jockey Pump: This pump is installed to regulate the water pressure. This is an automatic pump, which is triggered whenever there is a drop in the static pressure.

4.   Stand-by pump: As the name suggests, this is kept as an alternative in case of emergency. It has the same capacity as the fire pump.

Riser-system: These are pipes that run vertically through the building to carry the water required for the fire hydrant systems. The risers have a landing valve on each floor and at their ends to regulate the water supply. There are three types here:

1.   Wet riser: These are connected to the static water tank.

2.   Down comer: These are connected to the overhead tank.

3.   Wet-Riser-cum-Down-Comer: A combination of both types, connected to water tanks on both ends.

Hose reel: This is the tube attached to a pressurised water supply. It is the hose that ensures the water supply can be taken across a floor.

Air vessel: This is a small cylindrical vessel that is attached to the wet riser at the top and the bottom to nullify the water hammer effect.

Air release valve: This valve opens up the water supply to release the trapped air inside the riser as it is being charged.

Pressure switch: This is to regulate the functioning of the fire pump or the jockey pump as per the pressure in the system.

These are the essential parts of a fire hydrant systems. Check each part and ensure that these meet the required ISO standards before installing.

A comprehensive inspection and preventative maintenance program designed and conducted by an experienced fire protection company proactively locates fire and life safety issues and repairs these failures prior to an emergency event, ensuring all systems are operating at peak performance.

While each inspection and preventative maintenance program is different to accommodate a business’s or building’s unique needs, here is a general overview of the process:

1.   A physical inspection is conducted on each fire protection system in the facility.

2.   A detailed report is written outlining system deficiencies and recommended actions to ensure functionality and compliance.

3.   Maintenance and repairs are conducted on any fire and life safety systems that are broken or show signs of corrosion.

In terms of our fire protection inspection process, we provide building managers and business owners simple and easy-to-read inspection reports generated by intelligent Inspect Point software. Fire protection reports come with built-in NFPA forms to ensure compliance with the latest NFPA inspection requirements. Our fire and life safety inspection reports are optimized for NFPA inspection requirements including but not limited to:

·        NFPA 10

·        NFPA 13

·        NFPA 20

·        NFPA 25

·        NFPA 72

·        NFPA 80