A national recall of smoke alarms is affecting 1.5 million Kidde detectors. The alarms may not be chirping in the case of emergency, which is prompting the recall.
Huntsville’s Fire Prevention Officer, Mike Vadlja, says it also may not chirp when it approaches its end of life, so home owners won’t know they’ve stopped working. He says the censors wear out, which is why the manufacturers recommend replacing them. He says any smoke alarm that is older than 10 years, and any carbon monoxide detector made before 2009, should be replaced, regardless of the brand.
Vadlja says pushing the button on the Kidde alarms may not actually test if it’s working properly. He says that will tell you if the electronics are working, but it’s the censors that may not be picking up the smoke as quickly. He says you have very little time to get out if your house catches fire, and every second counts. So, if the alarm isn’t detecting the smoke quick enough it could be a life-threatening situation.
The Kidde models that are being recalled are:
- KN-COSM-IBCA
- KN-COSM-ICA
More details about the recall are on Health Canada’s website.