Scary Smoke Alarms Stats & Tips!

Every Sunday morning there is one sound that can be hear throughout our house and no it’s not my children’s laughter from cartoons. The noise is the annoying chirpping from our smoke detectors. We moved into this house three years ago and while we have checked the batteries before I feel like we should just replace them all so we know they are all new and in good working condition. I admit when the siren goes off none of us go running anymore, which really is a terrible thing. It’s become like the “Boy who cried wolf” in our house where the alarm goes off and its not a big deal and one day it will be a problem and I want to be ready. We haven’t disconnected the battery quite yet but my husband has come close.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) statistics indicate that the primary reasons smoke alarms fail to operate in home structure fires is a missing/disconnected battery (50%) and dead/discharged battery (23%).

A chirping smoke alarm is more than just a “home annoyance” – it is a sign that batteries need to be replaced to keep your family and whole house safe from potentially deadly fires. This fall, Kidde is launching a line of Worry-Free Smoke Alarms, which offer a variety of benefits to the millions of Americans who rely on continuous battery-powered smoke and fire detection in their homes. The new alarms are powered by sealed-in, long-life lithium batteries for 10 years (the life of the alarm).

A Worry Free Smoke Alarm sounds like the answer to our problem. It is a smoke alarm that doesn’t need a battery change since it features a sealed, long-life lithium battery that will last for 10 years (the life of the alarm.) It is always on, keeping your family safe. The feature I am most impressed with though is that each of the alarms includes features designed to address location-specific safety needs, such as a light in the hallway or an innovative smart sensing technology for kitchens to minimize nuisance alarms caused by cooking. Oh I would love a smoke alarm that wasn’t so sensitive and only went off when it should!

Another crazy statistic is that while smoke alarms are installed in 96% of homes, 20% of those alarms are not functioning properly mainly due to dead or missing batteries. Two-thirds of residential fire deaths occur in homes without smoke alarms or in homes with non-functioning smoke alarms. With a sealed, long-life lithium battery smoke alarm, homeowners can enjoy peace of mind that their homes are being protected from smoke for 10 continuous years – no chirping, searching for batteries, or going without a smoke alarm! Oh and The National Fire Protection Association recommends replacing smoke alarms every 10 years so you’d be set! This smoke alarm will only chirp when its at the end of its life-cycle of 10 years!

BUY IT: The Kidde Worry Free Smoke Alarms will be available at select home improvement stores and other retailers in early November 2012. Suggested retail prices range from $25 to $50.

WIN IT: (1) US winner will receive a 2-pack of Worry-Free Kidde smoke alarms (includes the hallway and bedroom alarms)