New Code for Smoke Alarms in Florida
Statistics report that 94 percent of American households have smoke detectors, but 30 percent of those alarms don’t work. Additionally, most fire fatalities happen in homes that lack working alarms. Between January 1st and December 1, 2014, there were 114 deaths due to residential fire reported in Florida. Of those reported deaths, 43 percent of the homes either did not have smoke alarms installed or the smoke alarms were not functioning because of missing or disconnected batteries.
Beginning January 1, 2015, the Florida Building Code now requires Florida homeowners that do not have hard-wired smoke detectors to install 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms. A hard-wired smoke detector is wired to 120V household electrical circuit and connected to other detectors throughout your home. Hard-wired smoke and carbon monoxide alarms sound simultaneously, on all levels of your home, when a single unit detects smoke or gas. Units with battery backup provide extra protection by functioning even if a fire causes the power to go out. Smoke alarm manufacturers recommend alarms be replaced every 10 years.
The new code only requires homeowners to make the switch when replacing outdated or non-working alarms or installing new 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms. The date your alarm was manufactured can be found on the back of the device. These smoke detectors have a longer life lithium batteries inside and are tamper resistant and removes the consumers’ worry about remembering when to change batteries.
The 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms are available online and at most hardware stores averaging between $25 and $50. The savings in battery costs alone as well as saving lives more than justifies the cost.
Buy Your Side Home Inspections wants you and your family to be safe in your home. When you need a professional home inspection, give us a call. We’re here for you. 407.780.0911.
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