Disposal protocols vary, some jurisdictions allow Ionization Type Smoke Alarms and Detectors to be disposed of as ordinary household waste, others have reclamation programs and others dictate that they be sent back to the original manufacturer. The amount of Am241 in typical ionization household smoke alarms is low in comparison to older units such as Pyrotronics HV F5 & F3/5. The moral of this story is to check your local jurisdictions requirements.
Additional in many communities electronics are not permitted in household trash and must be brought to a reclamation center. Heres a couple links; http://www.epa.gov/radiation/sources/smoke_dispose.htm http://www.mcmua.com/hazardouswaste/FAQ_Smoke_Detectors.htm John Drucker Fire Protection Subcode Official (AHJ) New Jersey -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Charles Thurston Sent: Monday, April 30, 2007 10:14 AM To: Todd Williams - work Subject: Re[2]: How Old Are Your Smoke Alarms??? Hello Todd, Only the inozation type has the radioactive material in them. They can be sent back to the manuf. who is required to properly dispose of them. Photoelectric can be put in the trash can. Monday, April 30, 2007, 6:30:46 AM, you wrote: > On a similar topic, what is the proper method for > disposing of a smoke detector? Doesn't it have a > small amount of radioactive material and > therefore classified as a hazardous waste? Our > town had it's ill-publicized Hazardous Waste day, > so I guess they will have to sit in the garage until next year. > Todd > At 08:09 PM 4/29/2007, you wrote: >>http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/pdf/coffee-break/cb-2007-13.pdf >> >>Single-station residential smoke alarms, like >>almost any other electronic products, have an >>expected useful life span. Since the early days >>of residential smoke alarms, this life cycle has >>been 10 years. Once these devices reach this age >>their ability to function reliably declines >>substantially. NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm >>CodeR requires these devices to be replaced at >>10 years of age or when they become inoperable, whichever comes first. >> >>Beginning in 1999, Underwriters Laboratories >>(UL) required the manufacturing date code on the >>back of the device to be printed in plain >>English. Smoke alarms manufactured before 1999 >>may have plain English or ?coded? manufacture >>dates. This information may appear on the back >>of the device, on the face of the horn, in the >>battery compartment or on the top sensing >>chamber. The labeling requirement appears in >>Chapter 11 of NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm CodeR, 2002 Edition. >>Code enforcement personnel who can readily >>decipher these date codes can identify those >>smoke alarms that are due for replacement. >> >>Earlier versions of BRK, First Alert and Family >>Guard devices had a date code consisting of a >>series of numbers that appeared either on the >>face of the horn or on the top of the sensing >>chamber. The date code consists of the first >>four digits in a series of numbers and letters. >>The numbers designate the following: >> >>The first digit represents the year of >>manufacture and the next three digits represent >>the day of the year. For example, in a code of >>4015 6J, the first digit is the year (1994); the >>next three indicate the 15th day of the year or >>January 15th, 1994. The remaining characters are >>manufacturing information not necessarily related to the manufacture date. >>One problem with the BRK, First Alert and Family >>Guard system is that there is no way to >>determine the year of manufacture from the code. >>The first digit ?4? could represent 2004, 1994 >>or even 1984. An additional tool is to closely >>examine the circuit board that will include a >>code like ?83R?. This means that this circuit >>board type was first used in 1983. This can help >>narrow down the correct manufacturing date. >> >>Fyrnetics (Lifesaver), now Kidde, also used a >>five- or six-digit coding system before 1999. >>The first two digits of their codes represent >>the month of production, the second two digits >>represent the year of manufacture, and the last >>digit or digits represents the week of the >>month. Therefore, a date code of 049203 would be >>translated as April, 1992, during the third week of the month. >>For other manufacturers, date code information >>usually can be obtained by contacting the specific manufacturer. >> >>>From: "Ron Greenman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>>Reply-To: [email protected] >>>To: [email protected] >>>Subject: Re: Smoke Alarms Save Lives Too,with >>>Sprinklers we can save even more ! >>>Date: Sun, 29 Apr 2007 16:22:12 -0700 >>> >>>Bill, >>> >>>Me to though not as dramatic. A knock on the door from a neighbor >>>about 10:30 PM. The detached carport fully engulfed, flames about 60 >>>feet high. I only lost the only new car I ever bought in my entire >>>life, no one at all was injured and no one lost their home or home >>>possessions but standing outside in the dark with little kids in your >>>arms while firefighters do their thing is still scarey. Sometime later >>>I pulled into the now uncovered parking area to hear a neighbor's >>>smoke alarm sounding. A call to 911, alert the other neighbors, and >>>wait for the fire truck. A little forced entry and the pot left on the >>>stove was gone and the stove turned off. Firefighters gone and all was >>>well. Of course the negligent neighbor got a ration from all the >>>tenants when she got home. >>> >>>On 4/29/07, Bill Minkel <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >>>>Good story, I escaped from a burning apartment once, no smoke alarms but the >>>>smoke woke me up, the hall was impassable from smoke but there was a fire >>>>escape stairway accessible from the kitchen window which I used, thank God >>>>for that fire escape. I think if more people experienced escaping from >>>>burning buildings with only their life and the clothes on their backs they >>>>would be more appreciative of any device that helps. >>>> >>>>-----Original Message----- >>>>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>>[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of John Drucker >>>>Sent: Sunday, April 29, 2007 5:46 PM >>>>To: [email protected] >>>>Subject: Smoke Alarms Save Lives Too, with Sprinklers we can save even more >>>>! >>>> >>>>Codes Save Lives >>>>Corrected code violation makes difference between life, death for three >>>> >>>>Pearl and her two house guests woke up when the smoke detector went off. It >>>>was 3 o'clock that December morning. They searched the house but didn't >>>>smell smoke or see any evidence of fire. So they reset the smoke detector >>>>and went back to sleep. The detector sounded again at 7 a.m. This time there >>>>was no question that the house was on fire. Pearl and her friends had enough >>>>time to escape, but were left with only the clothes on their backs. The >>>>house was ruined. Later, when interviewed by the local media, they would say >>>>that without a doubt the smoke detectors had saved their lives. >>>> >>>>Ron Hampton was reporting to work when his team received the call to condemn >>>>the structure. The team helped the fire department evaluate and secure the >>>>scene. After returning to the office, Ron remembered struggling with the >>>>building's previous owner, an out of town landlord, the year before. So he >>>>had his staff pull the file. Yes, the address had been cited for several >>>>property maintenance code violations. The previous owner's checklist was >>>>included in the paperwork. There, at the top of the list showing all of the >>>>items that had been fixed, the owner had put a check next to smoke >>>>detectors. Ron's team had enforced the code. For Pearl, it had made the >>>>difference between life and death. >>>> >>>>The newspaper clipping hangs on the bulletin board in his office. Ron >>>>Hampton keeps it as a reminder -- a reminder that smoke detectors and proper >>>>code enforcement make a difference. His team had been directly involved in >>>>protecting the health, safety and welfare of the city's citizens. >>>> >>>>Story submitted by >>>>Ron E. Hampton >>>>Chief Master Code Official >>>>Division of Code Enforcement, City of Ashland, KY >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>>_______________________________________________ >>>>Sprinklerforum mailing list >>>>[email protected] >>>>http://lists.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum >>>> >>>>To Unsubscribe, send an email to:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>>(Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field) >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>>_______________________________________________ >>>>Sprinklerforum mailing list >>>>[email protected] >>>>http://lists.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum >>>> >>>>To Unsubscribe, send an email to:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>>(Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field) >>> >>> >>>-- >>>Ron Greenman >>>at home.... >>>_______________________________________________ >>>Sprinklerforum mailing list >>>[email protected] >>>http://lists.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum >>> >>>To Unsubscribe, send an email to:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>(Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field) >> >>_________________________________________________________________ >>Don?t quit your job - Take Classes Online and >>Earn your Degree in 1 year. Start Today! >>http://www.classesusa.com/clickcount.cfm?id=866146&goto=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.c lassesusa.com%2Ffeaturedschools%2Fonlinedegreesmp%2Fform-dyn1.html%3Fsplovr% 3D866144 >> >>_______________________________________________ >>Sprinklerforum mailing list >>[email protected] >>http://lists.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum >> >>To Unsubscribe, send an email to:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>(Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field) > Todd G. Williams, PE > Fire Protection Design/Consulting > Stonington, Connecticut > 860-535-2080 > www.fpdc.com > _______________________________________________ > Sprinklerforum mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum > To Unsubscribe, send an email > to:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > (Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field) -- Best regards, Charles mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ Sprinklerforum mailing list [email protected] http://lists.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum To Unsubscribe, send an email to:[EMAIL PROTECTED] (Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field) _______________________________________________ Sprinklerforum mailing list [email protected] http://lists.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum To Unsubscribe, send an email to:[EMAIL PROTECTED] (Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field)
