Survey Finds Annoying Chirp Distracts from Safety; Families at Risk New Kidde Worry-Free Smoke Alarms With Sealed-In, Lithium Battery Protects Families Continuously for 10 years and are Highly Recommended by Whom You Know
Among your New Year's Resolutions should be making sure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are in order! Here is the best one we discovered! The esteemed panel comments:
A smoke detector and a carbon monoxide detector are essentials in any home. They keep us safe from needless tragedy. Unfortunately, it can be a real pain to replace the battery in these little electronic devices! Especially when they are perched high above on the ceiling. An amazing device by Kidde relieves you from all that inconvenience, keeps you just as safe, and actually kills two birds with one stone! It is a smoke detector AND a carbon monoxide detector in one! The battery in the Kidde Smoke and CO Alarm lasts for 10 years!! Not only that, but it also features a state-of-the-art intelligent multi-sensing algorithm that reduces the number of times the alarm could go off needlessly while cooking. This might be my favorite feature! My old smoke detector used to go off every time I used the oven - regardless of whether or not something was burning. The Kidde Smoke and CO Alarm never goes off while I cook, and I feel safer now too, knowing the battery will last for 10 years. It has been a great addition to our home!
How simple and worry-free is this smoke and carbon monoxide detector???
My father was a fireman when I was very young and then a fire detective and inspector through the years as I grew up, so fire safety was always a topic of conversation in my house. I grew up with stories of simple things that could have prevented fires or lessened the damage if something were to occur. A good (and functioning!) smoke detector is one of those things… an early warning is critical for you and your family to evacuate and/or extinguish the fire before much damage is done. Most people are good about installing smoke detectors when they first move into a house, or when a major life event occurs, but how diligent are we about replacing batteries and periodically testing the functionality of our alarms? For most people (I include myself, the daughter of a firefighter), then answer is: not very diligent at all. It’s one of those things you only think of AFTER an incident. The Kidde worry-free smoke alarm takes care of that for us. It has a built-in battery with a ten-year life… ten years of not worrying about making sure your smoke detector has fresh batteries!! As if those qualities weren’t enough, Kidde’s worry-free smoke alarm now includes a carbon monoxide detector as well. I don’t live in Manhattan, where carbon monoxide detectors are now required, but think it is a great idea to have one in your living space. Now that Kidde has combined smoke and carbon monoxide detection in a single, worry free alarm, there’s really no excuse! The installation instructions sound a little confusing at first, but keep them close at hand, take things one step at a time and you’ll be fine.
Smoke alarms: pretty basic. You put the batteries in, let it sit until they run out, get annoyed with the chirping sound when the battery is running low, remove the batteries, and at some point, get around to replacing them. Right? Well, think again. Kidde has developed a "Worry-Free" alarm with a sealed lithium battery that lasts 10 years! So, no annoying chirps, and no risk of missing an alarm because you hadn't gotten around to replacing the batteries yet! Model P3010K-CO also detects carbon monoxide, and is perfect for use in the kitchen. It is an "intelligent, multi-sensor" alarm, which helps to reduce the number of "false alarms" caused by cooking, which is a fantastic feature. There is also a "hush" button to quickly silence any nuisance alarms that do sound. The alarm is quick and easy to install, and comes with easy-to-follow, complete instructions. Thank you, Kidde, for a serious upgrade on home safety!
Kidde smoke alarm is a must have for every home. I cannot stress to you how important it is to have a smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector. Living in Manhattan by law we have to have smoke detectors in our apartment. I love this one because it's a two for one. It also has an alarm for carbon monoxide detection. I really think this is a great product. It's easy to install and goes on and off in a snap. Everyone should protect themselves and their families. This is a must have for everyone. Don't take the risk of not having a fire or carbon monoxide detector in your house.
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A smoke alarm’s low battery chirp is the number one home fire safety complaint among American homeowners who participated in a recent survey conducted by Kelton on behalf of Kidde, the leading manufacturer of residential fire safety products. In fact, 61 percent of respondents have left their alarm without a working battery. Kidde’s new Worry-Free line of smoke alarms with a 10-year sealed-in lithium battery aims to solve common consumer complaints and pressing fire industry concerns. Kidde is a business of UTC Climate, Controls, & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX)
According to the survey results, homeowners’ primary frustration is timing: almost half of those who have heard a low battery chirp said that it sounded in the middle of the night. Yet, homeowners don’t automatically replace the battery. After hearing a low battery chirp, 33 percent of homeowners might wait a day or more to replace it, according to the survey. Another seven percent say they’d be more likely to disconnect the battery than insert a new one.
Failing to react quickly and replace batteries could have tragic results. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) cites missing or disconnected batteries as the main reason smoke alarms fail to operate in residential fires. Two-thirds of all home fire deaths occur in homes with either no smoke alarm or no working alarm. Recently, the National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM) issued a recommendation for smoke alarms to be powered by 10-year, sealed-in batteries. NASFM’s support of a long-life battery follows similar recommendations from NFPA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“Overall, smoke alarms have been cited as a great success story in this country’s efforts to reduce fire death rates, but persistent problems have been identified along the way that continue to hamper our ability to reduce home fire deaths,” said J. William Degnan, state fire marshal, New Hampshire and president, NASFM . “Consumers with battery-operated smoke alarms should use 10-year batteries in tamper-resistant units to help ensure that they will have that early warning if it is needed. A sealed-in, 10-year battery takes the burden off consumers to remember to change smoke alarm batteries, and it will save lives.”
Kidde’s Worry-Free smoke alarms offer a decade of protection without ever having to replace a battery. They are the only UL-listed alarms to contain a photoelectric smoke sensor that is programmed to reduce nuisance alarms, the second most common complaint of homeowners. The Kelton survey found one quarter of homeowners report nuisance alarms sounding at least once a month when cooking in their home. Kidde’s Worry-Free Kitchen Alarm includes smart-sensing technology to minimize, if not eliminate, cooking-related nuisance alarms.
Each Worry-Free Kitchen Alarm is designed with location-specific features, such as super-bright LEDs in the Hallway Alarm and an added voice warning in the Bedroom Alarm to help wake those who may sleep through the traditional beep. NFPA recommends installing smoke alarms on each floor and inside and outside of sleeping areas. However, survey results show less than a quarter of homeowners comply with this recommendation, and three out of four homeowners don’t know where to place alarms.
“We’ve heard loud and clear that homeowners are frustrated with low battery chirps and nuisance alarms,” said Chris Rovenstine, vice president, sales and marketing, Kidde. “In addition to technology advances that eliminate the low-battery chirp, the Worry-Free smoke alarms give consumers peace-of-mind by offering features to address location-specific safety needs. Homeowners now can feel confident that they have the right alarm for the right location.”
Kidde’s Worry-Free smoke alarms are available at The Home Depot beginning Nov. 1, 2012. With no need to replace batteries, consumers will save about $40 in battery costs over the life of an alarm. After ten years, the alarms will sound a warning to indicate it is time for replacement. Fire experts recommend replacing all smoke alarms every 10 years.
The online survey was conducted by Kelton between July – August 2012 among 1,018 homeowners with battery-powered smoke alarms and homes older than 10 years. For more information, visit www.worryfreealarm.com.
About Kidde
As the world’s largest manufacturer of fire safety products, Kidde’s mission is to provide solutions that protect people and property from the effects of fire and its related hazards. For more than 90 years industry leaders, the military, airlines and firefighters have relied on Kidde to deliver superior fire detection and suppression. Consumers will find that same advanced fire safety technology in Kidde's residential and commercial smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, fire extinguishers and other life safety products.
Based in Mebane, N.C., Kidde is part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp., a leading provider to the aerospace and building systems industries worldwide. For more information, visit www.kidde.com.
