10B — June 22 - July 12, 2018 — Contractors/Subcontractors — ODM — M id A tlantic
Real Estate Journal
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C ontractors /S ubcontractors By Bob Kilroy, Jewel Electric A Decade of Protection; Now lets end the chirping
I
don’t know about you but chirping smoke detectors drive me crazy. Why is it
almost like saying “change my batteries or I will annoy you until you do”. That is, they will chirp when the batteries are running low; a warning that they need to be replaced. Well there is some good news; because of some newly enacted regulations will cause our smoke detectors to become less annoying and at the same time protect us better. On February 5, 2018 new regula- tions were adopted, improving life safety. The New Jersey Administrative code 5:70 will change. The new regulations while adopted in 2018 are not
expected be enforced until January 1, 2019. The newly adopted code will require 10- year sealed battery-powered single smoke alarms to be installed where no-battery and replaceable battery units once existed. Imagine how wonderful 10 years of no chirping will be. Of course, all smoke alarms will still need to be maintained in accordance with the New Jersey Admin- istrative Code and the code updates will apply to most dwellings including multi- family dwellings, hotels, mo- tels, dorms, detached single
dwellings and two-family dwellings. Placements for the smoke alarms have stayed consis- tent with past practices. An alarm must be installed on each level of the building, in- cluding basements. An alarm must also be installed outside each separate sleeping area, the smoke alarms required in one and two family or at- tached single-family dwell- ings shall be subject to New Jersey Administrative Code, N.J.A.C.5:70-23 and shall be located and maintained in ac- cordance with NFPA 72. The
alarms however, as I under- stand it are not required to be interconnected but I always suggest checking your local municipal code for any devia- tions to any requirements. Kidde, a leading manu- facturer in smoke and fire alarm equipment making a wide variety of products some battery powered and some line-voltage that will meet the new regulations head on. The Worry-Free 10-year Hallway, Living Area, Bedroom, Kitch- en and sealed battery Ioniza- tion Smoke alarms are ideal for the multi-family industry to be compliant. Worry-free hardwired smoke alarms with the 10-year battery backup and Worry-free hardwired combination smoke / CO alarm round out their offer- ing to provide products that are available, compliant and affordable. Some of the advantages of the Kidde worry-free alarm series are no removable bat- teries. That is to say, no bat- teries to be stolen or borrowed by the building occupants, reduced maintenance by not having to replace batteries every six months; deferring that annoying chirp, tamper resistant units, some with a 10 year-lifelong warranty requiring fewer callbacks, easy installation and all user friendly, making them a building managers dream. 10-year lithium batteries will put an end to one reason for that annoying chirp but will not cure every reason for the chirping and it is impor- tant to pay attention to what the chirp is trying to tell you. Some reasons your alarms might be chirping include; a loose or improperly installed battery, smoke - dust or dirt in the alarms sensing chamber, other environmental condi- tions, interrupted power or maybe the alarm just needs to be replaced. How old are your alarms? The NFPA 72, The National Fire Alarm Code, now requires replacing smoke alarms every 10 years. The UL listed CO alarms must alert consumers when a unit has reached the end of its use- ful life. What do you need to do to be prepared for January 2019? It is never to early to be prepared. Bob Kilroy is the vice president at Jewel Elec- tric Supply Co. in Jersey City, NJ.
they always s e eme d t o chirp late at night while t r y i n g t o sleep or dur- ing the best part of my favorite TV show?
Bob Kilroy
Smoke detectors chirp for a variety of reasons, one be- ing low battery power. Many smoke detectors have a chirp- ing safety warning built in,
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Electrical Contractors State, Municipal & Government Hospital & Institutions Property Management & Hospitality Products we offer: Wire, Pipe, Fittings & Wiring Devices Switchgear, Panelboards, Motor Controls & Motors Lighting & replacement Lamps LED Retrofits, Fixtures and other Energy Efficient Products Sub-Metering Equipment Meters, Tools & Ladders Safety Devices & Equipment Fire Alarms, Smoke Detectors & Burglar Alarms Generators Services we offer: On time Deliveries to meet customer requirements 24/7 Emergency Response Inventory Management Project quotes Lighting & Energy Audits Customer Training
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