# Three “Beeps” or Four “Beeps”? U.S. Fire Administration



## mark handler (Jul 11, 2013)

http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/coffee-break/fm/fm_2013_8.pdf

You are presenting a public fire education program about smoke alarms. A parent asks you this excellent question about combination smoke/carbon monoxide (CO) alarms; “How do I know when it is the smoke part of the alarm going off?” Neither National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code nor NFPA 720, Standard for the Installation of Carbon Monoxide (CO) Detection and Warning Equipment have a requirement for a voice announcement when the alarms activate. However, the smoke alarm is equipped with a requirement to “beep” three times with a short pause between each beep and then a slightly longer pause before the next three beeps. A CO alarm is equipped with arequirement to “beep” four times with a short pause between each beep and then a slightly longer pause before the next four beeps.

The International Residential Code (IRC) requires new homes to have CO alarms if they have an attached garage, a fireplace or any fuel-burning appliances (such as a gas clothes dryer, gas water heater, oil furnace, etc.). In most cases, hard-wired battery-backup smoke alarms are installed in the bedrooms, but combination smoke/CO alarms are being installed in the common areas to save money. It is very important for everyone in the home to know the difference in sounds between the smoke and CO alarms.

Currently, there are a number of different battery powered smoke/CO alarms available in retail stores. These devices offer a wider variety of alarm service for the occupants; however, it is critical that the occupants know the difference in sounds the alarms make if there is no voice*announcement.

Test your smoke alarms on a regular basis (at least monthly). Vacuum the dust off smoke alarms

every six months


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## peach (Jul 17, 2013)

I have yet to see CO detectors without an announcement .. beeps or no beeps.


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## MASSDRIVER (Jul 24, 2013)

Since course of action in case of either alarm is identical, it kinda doesn't matter. Deciding how many beeps you hear or may of heard wastes time you could use to high-tail it outta there. As a matter of fact, I would amend the code to state there should be NO difference in alarms signals so as to prevent confusion. Hear alarm-wake up-count beeps-decide what it means-make bad decision because it's not FIRE!-get lazy-pull battery-...die in bed.

Or...

Hear alarm-herd cats until everybody is outside-determine threat level-live another day.

Brent.


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## RFDACM02 (Apr 7, 2015)

Exactly. Maybe the beeps are a way of determining the unit works when testing, but in actual alarm? Who cares, just exit, now!


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