<$BlogRSDUrl$>

Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detector/Alarms

Safety experts across the country believe that equipment capable of sensing and alarming the presence of carbon monoxide (CO) should be installed in residential buildings along with the smoke detectors already proven to save lives.

An ordinance has recently become effective in Philadelphia mandating the use of CO detectors at key locations in specified dwellings.

All KRF units have alarms sensitive to both smoke and CO, with installation meeting or exceeding the requirements of Philadelphia Code. In some instances, these replaced the smoke detectors already in use. In other cases, the combination smoke-CO detectors were placed in new locations consistent with the latest safety standards and codes, and the older smoke-only detectors were left as-is for added protection.

The devices selected by KRF are powered by the electrical supply lines and also have battery-backup. To alleviate problems sometimes encountered with nuisance alarms – such as those caused by cooking odors – all the new units have pushbuttons that will silence the alarm for a short period to give a known temporary condition a chance to clear.

Information about the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in KRF building is available on-line at:
www.krf.icodat.com/smoke and co detectors.htm.
This gives instructions about use of the "hush" feature, explains how to test the devices, and explains tenants responsibilities with respect to damage of the alarms, replacement of the batteries, and so forth.

For interested parties, the city's ordinance mandating use of these devices is also posted on the KRF website, at:
www.krf.icodat.com/CO detector ordinance.pdf.


Testing by KRF
Every unit will be tested on the second Tuesday of each month - at the same time we are in your apartment to do preventive extermination. In addition, we would encourage you to test these devices yourself occasionally. All you have to do is press the button on the unit and see whether it "beeps." If it does, everything is OK. If it doesn't there's a problem and you should call us immediately to check the unit, the wiring, the battery (if any) - remedy whatever is wrong.

Sources of fires
Some fires start in kitchens or are a result of faulty wiring (or foolish overloading of circuits, use of frayed extension cords, flammable items in contact with auxiliary heaters, etc). However, the greatest cause of fire fatalities in the home is smoking in bed or on a couch and falling asleep without fully extinguishing the cigarette, cigar, or pipe.

Carbon monoxide hazards typically result from "incomplete combustion" of fossil-fuels. Instead of the products of combustion being largely carbon dioxide, some carbon monoxide remains. This is what happens in an automobile because of inherent inefficiencies. It can also occur if a furnace or fuel fired space heater does not get enough oxygen or is defective in some other way. The furnaces in KRF buildings are checked annually so these are not likely to be sources of problems. You shouldn't be using portable space heaters – but, if you are, be sure they're located away from walls or other obstructions that could block the flow of the air they need to operate efficiently.

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?