Fire Systems - What Property Agents Must Know!



Someone who offers fishing gear ought to know how to bait a hook, so also a real estate agent who offers a house needs to understand exactly what is needed, by code, to protect that house and household from a fire. I can't tell you how many times we have actually done a home survey for somebody who has actually just purchased a house that they are all excited about, and when we get to smoke detectors we discover there is only one smoke detector in the whole house. The real estate representative could have looked like a professional if they had actually simply taken the time to do a fast survey of the home's fire detection system.

Understanding the essentials of the fire code is easy, although codes may be a little various from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, however they are all based on the nationwide fire code. By having a fundamental understanding of what is needed to secure a home from fire, a real-estate representative can truly set themselves apart from the pack as a real expert.

You ought to at least understand if the system is interconnected (set up by a professional) or a system monitored by a security company. The first thing to look for is to see if they have a security system. A monitored fire system utilizes the same control board as a security system. Next you need to ensure the smoke detector is working. If a business that leases security systems (that includes a few of the nation's largest security business) set up the system they may have disabled the system when the previous owners moved out, or they may have gotten rid of the security panel completely if the previous client cancelled their tracking. Want to see if the little LED red light on the smoke alarm is lit. Much of them just blink about every thirty seconds, so you'll need to watch for the red light which might seem like it is taking permanently to blink. If it blinks it has power. It doesn't mean that it works, it just suggests that it has power, but normally if they have power they will work.

To test the smoke detector you may choose to simply recommend to the property owner that they have the smoke alarm cleaned and serviced by an expert. If you wish to go the extra action and test the smoke you can do the basic test, you'll need a little step-ladder, and press the test button. This will inform you the smoke detector has power and has the ability to sound an alarm, but it won't inform you that it can detect smoke. They offer a can of compressed air that is produced testing smoke detectors, and provides a true that the smoke alarm can detect smoke and is working effectively. If it is a monitored system you will want to get in touch with the monitoring company prior to you do any test so that you don't end up with fire trucks parked outdoors.

The fire code typically requires a smoke detector on each floor and outside each bedroom. Homes built before 1997 are usually grandfathered in to the old code that did not have the bedroom smoke detector requirement, however they included this part of the code for a factor and so you need to upgrade your system and add smoke detectors to each bedroom. They found that if a fire started in the bedroom by the time the smoke got picked up in the hallway the person in the bedroom was dead from the smoke or in deep trouble at the very least.

Heat sensors are not part of the fire code because they do not identify fire as rapidly as smoke detectors but they work in areas that smoke detectors are not effective such as an attic, cooking area or garage. Garages by code have fire rated doors and so by the time the smoke got into the home the fire had a great start on the home. The house was a complete loss however the house owner told me the kept an eye on fire system conserved their lives.

To sum up exactly what is needed for a code compliant fire system:

A minimum of one smoke alarm per floor
A smoke detector beyond each bedroom, which can likewise quality for the one needed for that floor.
One smoke alarm inside each bedroom
Advised to have a heat sensor in the kitchen area, attic, and garage.
Smoke detectors cover a 20 foot radius, heat sensors a 15 foot radius.
One last thing to remember is that a loud siren is essential to notify you of an alarm. Smoke alarm that are interconnected, indicating if one sounds they all do, meet code requirements for annunciation. Kept an eye on fire systems must have a siren on each level when possible. Many monitored smoke alarm do not make any noise and rely on the system's siren. Wireless smokes have a siren, but just the siren on the smoke detector, that has actually gone into alarm, sounds its siren, the remainder of the house depends on the main control board's siren. It may or may not have adequate volume depending on its area.

And one last note, if you ever see an orange cover on a smoke detector, such as in a brand name new home, that is a dust cover and will avoid that smoke detector from detecting smoke. It needs to be eliminated prior to that smoke is functional. I building warrant of fitness did a survey for a household that had actually lived in the home for over a year and every smoke had this red dust cover still in location.

It's the little things that will make you stick out from other real estate agents, and this one will make you appear like a hero to the household buying a home!


I can't inform you how lots of times we've done a home study for somebody who has just purchased a house that they are all delighted about, and when we get to smoke detectors we find there is only one smoke detector in the whole home. They offer a can of compressed air that is made for testing smoke detectors, and offers a true that the smoke detector can find smoke and is working appropriately. Residences built before 1997 are typically grandfathered in to the old code that did not have the bed room smoke detector requirement, however they included this part of the code for a factor and so you should update your system and add smoke detectors to each bedroom. Heat sensing units are not part of the fire code since they do not find fire as quickly as smoke detectors however they work in locations that smoke detectors are not effective such as a kitchen, attic or garage . And one final note, if you ever see an orange cover on a smoke detector, such as in a brand name new home, that is a dust cover and will prevent that smoke detector from detecting smoke.

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