ALARM LIMITATIONS
LIMITATIONS OF SMOKE ALARMS
Alarms reduce deaths resulting from home fires
worldwide. However smoke alarms can only
work if they are properly located, installed and
maintained, and if smoke reaches the alarms.
• Smoke alarms may not waken all individuals.
Make sure you create an escape plan and
you practice fire drills with all members of
the family.
• Smoke alarms cannot work without power.
If they are powered by batteries, the smoke
alarms cannot work if the batteries are
missing, dead or disconnected. If they are
wired, the smoke alarms cannot work during
a long power outage once the back up battery
is dead. Nest Protect will warn you in advance
when batteries are running low so that you can
replace them.
• Smoke will not be able to reach the smoke
sensor while the dust cover is in place. The
dust cover must be removed.
• Smoke alarms cannot detect fires if the smoke
does not reach the alarms. For example, if
a door is closed, smoke may not reach the
smoke alarm. This is why you should have
a smoke alarm in each bedroom and in the
hallways as bedroom doors may be closed
at night.
• Smoke alarms may not be heard. Although
the smoke alarm comes with a loud horn of
85 decibels, it may not be heard if : 1) people
have consumed alcohol or drugs, 2) the
alarm is drowned by noise from a stereo, TV,
traffic, air conditioner or other appliances,
3) residents are hearing impaired or have
high frequency hearing loss associated with
SAFETY
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