How old are the smoke detectors in your house, place of business? Did you know that smoke detectors ten years old or more should be replaced? Palmer Municipal Fire Department has seen a rise in faulty smoke detectors the past few months. No fires, injuries, or loss of property have resulted in these faulty smoke detectors.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) indicates that smoke detectors, after ten years old, need to be replaced. Most manufactures stamp this warning on the back of the smoke detector along with the manufacture date of that particular detector. Replacement smoke detectors may be purchased at any home improvement store.

There are two types of smoke detectors; Ionized and Photoelectric. Each provides a certain level of protection. An Ionized smoke detector responds quicker to a flaming fire while Photoelectric smoke detectors respond quicker to smoldering fires.

Ionized Smoke Detectors use electrodes connected to two metal plates and a battery to complete a circuit. When smoke enters the smoke detector chamber, ions from the completed circuit bond to the smoke causing the break in the circuit and activation of the smoke detector.

Photoelectric Smoke Detectors respond quicker to a fire condition than Ionized Smoke Detectors. In Photoelectric smoke detectors are two chambers. One chamber is an LED light similar to a laser pointer that send a straight beam of light from one side of the chamber to the other. At the bottom of the chamber with this beam of light is another chamber with a light sensor that detects the beam. As smoke enters the two chambers, the LED beam is interrupted causing the light sensor to activate the smoke detector.

Smoke detectors should be located on each level of your residence as well as inside each bedroom. Detectors should be mounted on the ceiling but may be mounted on the wall. If mounted on the wall, detectors should be located between 4 and 12 inches from the ceiling. Any detectors mounted on the ceiling should not be mounted closer than 4 inches to any wall and not mounted under ceiling fans or other types of hanging obstructions. If mounting smoke detectors in or near a Kitchen, this detector should be mounted a minimum of 10 feet from the stove.

For additional information on smoke detectors and other fire warning devices please visit the NFPA website at http://www.nfpa.org/safety-information

Also visit our Fire Prevention section for additional information.