Do I need to Upgrade my Smoke Detectors?
Having working smoke detectors in your home is not only important for your safety, but also is required by Massachusetts codes. While having smoke detectors has been code for your home for a long time and it is most likely you already have them in your home, in the recent past there have been some important changes to the code requirements.
Requirement Changes
Homes must now have hard-wired smoke detectors, according to a new requirement. The building code may require you to upgrade your smoke detectors to hardwired versions. The town mandates changes or repairs to them when passing fire inspections.
As a safety measure, every home must install functional Carbon Monoxide Detectors. When installing new detectors, you can have one unit that is both a CO and a smoke detector.
Why do I Need to Change my Detectors?
Most people say to us, well I already have smoke and CO detectors in our house, why do we have to change them? It is common for Building Department to require you, to upgrade or expand the existing units to meet the code for placements of these detectors. The Building Code now requires these detectors to be located in each bedroom of your home. It is usually up to the local official’s discretion if you project meets the requirements to upgrade your detectors. When dealing with big projects or making changes to a bedroom space, it is common for this situation to arise. It is important to actively address any challenges that may come up and ensure that the project is moving forward smoothly.
Smoke Detectors Longevity
Studies recommend replacing both hard-wired and battery-operated smoke detectors every 10 years. If the detectors fail to respond correctly during testing, you should replace them earlier. Experts in the manufacturing industry recommend replacing smoke alarm detector heads every ten years.
Fire Safety Codes
It is important to remember that these codes are put into place and designed to help maintain the safety of your home. Updating smoke alarms to comply with the most recent law saves lives. Nearly two-thirds of fire deaths occur in homes without working smoke alarms. Making sure that your system is up to date and has all the built in redundancies, will ensure that in the event there is a fire or CO leak in your home, you will be able to get out safe and sound.
If you have questions about your home improvement project or would like more information Contact Almar: https://www.almarbuilding.com (781-826-2577) and watch our videos: http://www.youtube.com/almarbuilding
