Smoke Alarms 

Keep in mind this: You are twice as likely to die in a fire at home if you haven't got a working smoke alarm.  Smoke alarms save lives!
 

Three Simple Steps to follow when deciding on the right Smoke Alarm

1. Decide the detection method and power supply:

Detection method:  The detection method determines how well the alarm spots different kinds of fires.  There are two detection methods, or you can combine both.
a. Ionisation alarms are sensitive to free burning fires with flames - for example, chip pan fires.  They detect these fires before the smoke becomes thick.
b. Optical alarms are more effective at detecting slow burning fires, like overheated and electrical wiring.  They are less likely to go off accidentally, or when you're cooking.
c. Combined detectors are effective at detecting slow burning, as well as flaming fires, which are both common types of fires.

Power supply: it is easier to replace a battery than a life.  Look after your smoke alarm and it'll look after you.  You have a number of choices when it comes to choosing a smoke alarm power supply method.
d. Standard battery alarms are the most basic and the cheapest available. 
e. Alarms with 10-year batteries are slightly more expensive, but you will save the cost of replacement batteries.
f. Mains powered alarms are powered by the household's mains supply and solve the problem of checking the battery.  They need to be installed by a qualified electrician or installer.
g. Battery alone with a hush or silencer button, which allows you to silence the alarm if it goes off accidentally.  Hush system is overwritten if there is a real fire
h. Alarms that plug into a light socket use a rechargeable battery, which is charged when you turn the light on.  It is important to make sure you turn the light on often enough to keep the battery charged up.
i. Linked alarms can be installed so that when one detects a fire, they all sound.  This is useful if you live in a larger house or one with more than one floor.  A qualified electrician or installer will need to install the alarms.
j. Battery with emergency lights can help you escape.  Can also be helpful to warn the deaf or the hard of hearing.  Batteries for the light and the alarm will need replacing every year.
k. Strobe light and vibrating-pad alarms are ideal for hard of hearing or the deaf.  The pad is placed under a mattress or pillow.  When smoke is detected, the alarm will sound and set off the light and pad.  This will wake you up instantly.  The Royal National Institute for Deaf People produce a fact sheet on smoke-alarm systems for the deaf and hard of hearing.  You can contact them on 0808 808 0123.           
 
2. Decide where to install your smoke alarms
If you're in a multi-story dwelling or building, it is recommended that you have one on each floor.  If you have multiple hallways, it is recommended that you have one in each hallway. Do not install them in bathrooms or kitchens where they can easily be set off by false alarms.  Properly located alarms with a hush or silencer button can work well in your kitchen. 
You should fit alarms on the ceiling, as near as possible to the centre of the room, hallway or landing.  The alarm should be at least one foot away from any wall or light.
 
3. Look after your smoke alarm
a. Once a week test the battery by pressing the button until the alarm sounds.
b. Twice a year open the case and gently vacuum the inside to remove dust from the sensors. 
c. Once a year change the battery if you are using a normal battery smoke detector. 
d. After 10 years, it's best to replace your alarm with a new unit.

Discover the Startling Reason Why 70 People Die in Fires Each Year, Even Though They Have a Smoke Alarm Fitted

Why People with Smoke Alarms Die In Fires:   Over 80% of all the deaths that occur as a result of fires, happen in the home.  Half of these fires occur at night time.  The majority of these fires are accidental and could have been prevented by taking some simple actions to reduce the risks. The most common form of fire detection is a smoke alarm.

Shockingly, approximately 70 people die each year in domestic fires, even though they had a smoke detector fitted.  Why does that happen?  Sadly, it is for a very simple reason.  Their smoke alarm either had no battery or had a flat battery.  Imagine a loved one losing their life, because your smoke alarm didn't have a battery fitted or the battery was flat.

Another common failure of smoke alarms is poor location.  Sometimes, they have been found in kitchen drawers after a fire.  Many times they are poorly positioned in the house and the occupants have died from smoke inhalation before the alarm has sounded.
If you're a parent of young children, there is another major danger.  Various tests have shown that  children fall into very deep sleep at night time, and most of them will not even hear a smoke alarm when it is sounded.  For those that do, they are so disorientated when they wake up that they can walk right into the fire area, and it is too late when they discover the danger they are in.

Carefully review, the sections in this report on choosing and installing the right smoke alarm and actions you can take to protect your home.