Smart Combo, I Kidde you not.

My Fire Alarm was malfunctioning after changing the battery. It was going off for no apparent reason, therefore I disconnected it. I haven’t bought a new fire alarm for a long time so was not sure what I would be replacing it with.

My first stop was Home Depot where I noticed mostly Kidde Alarms. There were so many types I wasn’t sure which to buy. The cheapest was the Kidde Basic for under $11. They have wired and battery operated ones for all types of living areas. I was told to get one with Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm which is a little more expensive for the 2 in 1. It made sense since many times the gas stove will go off without my knowledge when on a low setting and I didn’t have a separate Carbon Monoxide Alarm already installed. Unfortunately, Home Depot was out of the combination one so I bought one with just Fire.

Before installing the Fire only one, I decided to go to Lowe’s to check there if they had it in stock . They, too, were out of them. Since both stores were out of the combination one, I was convinced this was the one most people were buying and convinced me to wait till it became available before rushing and putting a Basic one up causing me to regret it later on.

I waited till Home Depot had them in stock, which was within 3 days, went to purchase the combination and returned the other for Fire only.

Features
Being the one I was replacing was in the hallway of the bedrooms and living area, I chose the Nightkawk Bedrooms & Living Areas model 900-0102, Ionization Sensor one with the (female) Voice Alarm which states “Fire, Fire!” followed by 85 decibel alarm when smoke is detected or “Warning! Carbon Monoxide!” accompanied by loud 85 decibel alarm alerting you when carbon monoxide levels become dangerous or “Low Battery!” with blinking light indicating the batteries need to be changed. This eliminates confusion of the type of alarm.

The front of the alarm displays the Test button (push and hold), Red LED Light (for the detection of dangerous levels of smoke or carbon dioxide), Green LED Light (unit is operating properly) and the removal direction. The cost for this was $36.97 plus tax.

The sources of carbon monoxide can be from automobile exhaust, clogged chimney, water heater and gas furnace malfunctions, wood or gas fireplaces, portable kerosene or gas heaters, gas stove, or any other possible sources.

Installing it was not difficult. User guide was not needed up to this point. It took a few minutes to remove the old screws with the plate and install the new plate with the screws supplied.

This alarm came with 3 AA batteries. To install the alarm to the plate you Twist on and Twist off to remove. After the installation, we tested it. The voice sounded clear and not too loud.

Use the LABELS.
This alarm came with a very easy to understand 30 page User Guide. After installation, I read the book and learned that the alarm will also chirp after every 30 seconds after 7 years to remind it is time to replace the alarm. The guide has good information as to how many fire alarms are needed within your home and the locations. It has diagrams of how and where to install them with several different home types. This is especially useful when moving to a new home.

Another useful piece of information is what to actually do AFTER the alarm sounds with a real emergency situation. We all hope we never have to be in that situation, but it’s a good idea to have a plan. What I found funny was this statement in the user guide, “Although smoke alarms can help save lives by providing an early warning of a fire, they are not a sub-stitute for an insurance policy. Home owners/renters should have adequate insurance to protect their lives and property.”

Included were 2 warning labels for the CO alarm actuation (instructions what to do if alarm signal sounds) to affix at a location for anyone to see including those that might be at your home when you are away.

You may never have this alarm go off, but you never know. It could be a life saver that no money in the world can replace. It’s better to be safe than sorry. The actual cost and time to install is very minimal and mandatory in apartments. It is not something you need to replace very often.

Homeowners should assess and check to protect their investments and life by making smoke alarms a priority before moving into a new home. This unit came with a FIVE YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY, manufactured by Kidde, custom assembled in China with U.S. and foreign components.

Kidde is a reputable company that is very well known for the fire extinguishers, therefore, I do have faith it will perform as expected.

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Consumer Hotline 1-800-880-6788
Internet: www.kiddeus.com

(PS Thanks to pogomom and mind-full for the addtion of this product.)