During the month of July, receive a free Honeywell smoke communicator valued at $189 from HomeStar Security, when you sign up for an ADT-monitored program.
When summer arrives, the last thing on your mind is the state of your smoke detection system. HomeStar Security has some information that will make you think again. The danger of residential fire actually rises in the summer. According to HomeStar co-owner Brian Piccolo, dry grass and sparks from a variety of sources — lawnmowers, barbecues, fireworks — present a lethal combination.
Most homeowners are unaware that Washington State Building Code requires smoke detectors in every room, and that ionization detectors, the most common type, do not protect against all types of fires.
Piccolo recommends a monitored smoke-detection system as the safest option. Insist on a monitored system that uses both ionization detectors to sense fast-burning, open-flame fires and photoelectric/photoelectronic detectors to sense slow-burning, smoldering fires. Before January 2012, photoelectronic smoke detectors were not generally installed in new homes by homebuilders. As a result, there is an urgent need to retrofit them in existing homes.
Most fires do not start with an open flame. In a modern home, with so many synthetic materials, fires typically smolder before you see a flame or smoke. Even so, a smoldering fire produces highly toxic fumes. That is the real danger in a residential fire: people and pets are overcome by fumes before they even know what is happening. – Brian Piccolo, Owner, HomeStar Security
Photoelectric sensors offer early detection of smoke particles which might not even be heated yet, Piccolo says. Earlier detection means faster response and lives saved.
HomeStar installs Honeywell 5808W3 smoke/heat detectors that are designed to send a wireless alarm signal to ADT’s command centers via a monitored fire-detection system. That signal triggers an immediate contact from ADT. If residents were absent, ADT will automatically dispatch the local fire department to your home. A two-way alarm voice feature allows an ADT dispatcher to determine whether anyone is trapped inside the home.
Monitored smoke communicators also can serve as freeze sensors in cold climates, signaling ADT when the indoor temperature drops below 41 degrees Fahrenheit.
Photoelectric detectors use two lithium batteries which have a typical lifespan of 5-8 years. When a battery begins to fail, the homeowner receives both a visual indication and an audible alert. Forgetting to replace a battery in your old smoke alarm will be a thing of the past.
Sign up for an ADT-monitored program during July and receive a free Honeywell 5808W3 smoke communicator, a $189 value. Call HomeStar Security today at (855) 463-7827 to protect your family and pets from the dangers of a slow-burning, smoldering fire.