Smoke Detectors: Be Safe and Green in 2013

Just last week during a sunny afternoon I was looking at my dining room chandelier and how it glittered in the sunlight.  The more I looked the
more I realized it was covered with dust and cobwebs.  We often forget that dust and cooking grease floats around our ceilings looking for a surface to adhere too.  The National Fire Protection Association insists that if your smoke detectors are over 10 years old that they need to be replaced.

That brings up what should type of smoke detector should I buy?  Photoelectric-only smoke detectors are the required choice (ordinance) in Albany since 2010.  For full details go to: http://www.albanyca.org/index.aspx?page=926

Here is an excerpt from the Albany Fire Department website regarding ordinance #2110-06: “Early warning is paramount so more is better! Photoelectric smoke alarms respond considerably faster to lethal smoldering fires and false alarm less often than alarms with ionization sensors. This is why we recommend photoelectric-only units rather than ionization or ionization/photoelectric combination alarms.”

Good news!  Photoelectric Smoke detectors are approximately $42.00 for a 3 pack at Ace Hardware.

What do I do with my old smoke detectors?  Can they be recycled?  Yes, per
the Albany Fire Dept.:  “Ionization detectors are the most common type of smoke detectors in use today. These detectors contain a small amount of the radioactive material Americium 241, thus requiring them to be disposed of in an appropriate and responsible manner”.

• Take them to the Alameda County Resource Center (ACCRC) located at 620 Page St. in Berkeley. The ACCRC accepts both photoelectric and ionization detectors for a fee of $1.00 each.

• Ship them back to the manufacturers. Manufacturers must accept returned radioactive detectors and are mandated by Nuclear Regulatory Law 10 CFR 32.27 to see that the radioactive waste is disposed at a nuclear waste disposal facility. In addition to postage, a $1.00 fee is charged. Remove the battery prior to shipping.

While you are picking your new photoelectric smoke detectors don’t forget to buy a carbon monoxide detector for each floor of your home.