BRK Brands 7020B Hardwire Photoelectric Sensor Smoke Alarm with Battery Backup and Escape Light

by BRK

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The BRK hardwire smoke alarm with photoelectric sensor and escape light is designed to reduce common "nuisance" alarms and light a path to safety. It's an excellent choice for installations in or near kitchens, family rooms, or in hallways directly outside bathrooms and bedrooms.

The 7020B AC-powered smoke alarm includes these features:

• Photoelectric sensor which is more effective at detecting smoldering fires which smolder for hours before bursting into flame.
• 120-volt VAC inter-connectable (with maximum 18 compatible devices). The alarm can be interconnected with up to 12 other compatible smoke alarms and six compatible devices like bells, horns, repeaters and door closers. If one unit triggers an alarm, all smoke alarms in the series will sound. Power indicators show which unit in the series initiated the alarm.
• Escape light to help illuminate a path to safety.
• Automatically performs internal test of functionality.
• Quick connect pig tails for easy installation.
• 9-volt battery backup for peace of mind during power malfunction.
• Universal mounting bracket with screw slots.
• Optipath 360 technology allows 360-degree access to the layer of air on the ceiling or wall that carries the fire signatures (smoke, combustion particles and volatile components).
• Single test/silence button which both silences a non-threatening alarm or low battery warning and allows you to test the unit's functionality.
• Low battery indication to alert you to change the backup battery.
• 10-year limited warranty.

All BRK Electronics smoke alarms meet UL 217 standard and are listed with the California State Fire Marshal. They use the new UL mandated repeating 85-decibel alarm horn pattern. 10-year limited warranty.--Bree Norlander

What's in the Box
One smoke alarm, one 9-volt battery, and user's manual.

Amazon.com

Choosing the Right Smoke Alarm What Types of Smoke Alarms Are There?
Smoke alarms can be found with a variety of features and added benefits to help maximize home safety, however it is important to know there are two main types of smoke alarms. They are differentiated by the smoke sensing technology they are constructed with. These technologies are called ionization and photoelectric smoke sensors and differ by the way they react to a fire occurrence:

• Ionization technology smoke alarms are generally more sensitive than photoelectric technology smoke alarms at sensing small particles, which tend to be produced in greater amounts by hot, flaming fires, that are consuming combustible materials rapidly and may spread quickly. Sources of these fires may include paper burning in a wastebasket, or a grease fire in the kitchen.

• Photoelectric smoke alarm technology is generally more sensitive than ionization smoke detector technology at sensing large smoke particles, which tend to be produced in greater amounts by smoldering fires, which may smolder for hours before bursting into flame. Sources of these fires may include cigarettes burning in couches or bedding.

For maximum protection, industry experts recommend the use of both types of technology on each level and in every bedroom of your home. Regardless of what type of smoke alarm you have in your home, First Alert recommends replacing smoke alarms every 10 years.

How to Help Reduce Nuisance Alarms
According to a survey performed by First Alert, a leading manufacturer of smoke alarms, nearly 7 out of 10 Americans have had a smoke detector alarm because of smoke from cooking. More than 50% of Americans admitted to having silenced a false alarm by removing it from the wall or taking out the batteries.*

It is very important to never deactivate a smoke alarm for any reason. One way to help reduce the occurrence of a nuisance alarm is to install photoelectric-type smoke alarms in those areas of the home where they happen. First Alert recommends installing a photoelectric-type smoke alarm in these areas because it is activated by sensing the smoke from a larger, “smoldering fire” – not, for example, from the smoke particles of burnt toast or a blast of humidity from a hot shower.

First Alert offers the industry's widest range of photoelectric smoke alarms designed to meet all local and state fire codes. All of the alarms manufactured by First Alert meet or exceed the performance standards for smoke alarms set forth by nationally recognized testing laboratories.

Interconnecting Smoke Alarms
Industry experts recommend installing interconnected smoke alarms on every level of your home and in every sleeping area as a part of a comprehensive fire safety program.  Having interconnected alarms in new construction is already a requirement of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 101 Life Safety Code, as this feature enables all alarms to sound when any individual alarm detects smoke to help provide an early notification.

There are easy solutions for wirelessly interconnecting smoke alarms in homes that do not have hardwired alarms installed. First Alert offers a new wireless smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarm series providing homeowners with whole-home safety in fire and CO emergency situations.  The new alarm series uses First Alert ONELINK Technology, which allows homeowners to create a network of alarms that “talk” to each other with no wiring required.  When one alarm sounds, all alarms respond, providing an immediate warning and giving everyone in the home a better chance of hearing the alarms and reacting quickly.   
Upgrading to a whole-home safety network is easy.  Homeowners simply install two or more battery-operated, First Alert ONELINK alarms in different areas of their homes.  Until ONELINK alarms, having hardwired alarms was the only way to ensure all alarms sounded when one detected smoke or CO. 

Smoke Alarm Features
For those in need of new smoke alarms, a wide variety of innovative products are available with an assortment of features to meet different needs.  Following are just a few of the safety and convenience options incorporated into today’s array of high-tech smoke alarms:

• Long-life 10-year lithium batteries – eliminates the need for battery replacement for the 10-year life of the alarm.

• Bright escape lights – lights the way to safety in case of an emergency.

• Strobe technology – provides visual alerts for the hearing-impaired.

• Remote-controlled mute – Infrared sensor allows for easy, hands-free silencing and testing of alarm function with most conventional remote controls.

• Talking Alarms – When programmed correctly, alarms with this feature installed can verbally warn you of the type and location of the danger.

Smoke alarms are a fundamental component to any household safety plan. They may provide critical time to find your way to safety in the event of a fire. So take time and do your research to find the types of smoke alarms that are best suited to help protect you and your family.

*The First Alert survey results are based on the responses of 1,000 adults in the United States who answered a telephone survey from Jan. 29 through Feb. 1, 2009. Results are accurate to +/-3 percent points with a 95 percent confidence level and can be generalized to the entire U.S. adult population.

 

Product Details

Smoke Sensing Technologies Information [46kb PDF]

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Fire Detection and Protection Fact Sheet [27kb PDF]

• Item Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B000JM0KI6
• Item model number: 7020B
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,087 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)
  • #46 in Home Improvement > Safety & Security > Fire Safety > Smoke Alarms

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars smoke detector rememdy, March 17, 2009

By 

Jack of all trades (Parkland, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: BRK Brands 7020B Hardwire Photoelectric Sensor Smoke Alarm with Battery Backup and Escape Light (Tools & Home Improvement)

For years I had the BRK model 86RAC smoke detectors that were always churping, especially at night. I finally replaced them with the BRK 7020B. Very easy installation - the plugin attachment was perfect. These even came with a DC/AC escape light if a fire shuts down electrical service. I recommend this item for anyone needing to replace their smoke detectors.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars False Alarms, February 7, 2010

By 

Jeffrey Rumsey (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: BRK Brands 7020B Hardwire Photoelectric Sensor Smoke Alarm with Battery Backup and Escape Light (Tools & Home Improvement)

These BRK smoke alarms have issued alarms twice now, which lasted several hours each and resulted in lost work time. Initially, two of these would beep every minute and nothing I tried would stop it, so I had them replaced, and then these seemed to be OK, but almost every night we would hear a 1 second alarm. Then 2 weeks later, the alarms went off steady and nothing we tried would silence or reset them. We even had the gas company come out to check the gas applicances for CO2, since 2 of the units also had the CO2 detectors built in, but everything checked out fine, so I just started unplugging the units until the alarms stopped. A few days later, the remaining 3 alarms that I still had connected started another false alarm and eventually stopped. I don't have time to put up with issues like this, and it can result in not even believing your smoke alarms, when it may be a real fire! I only purchased these because they were plug compatible with the First Alert, but I will have to rewire the plug and purchase a better quality brand.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Be Careful! Old Stock. Shipped Product Not as Advertised., September 28, 2011

By 

Dinkum - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: BRK Brands 7020B Hardwire Photoelectric Sensor Smoke Alarm with Battery Backup and Escape Light (Tools & Home Improvement)

Be careful - they are not supplying the item they describe. They are shipping old stock (pre-July 2010) that does not have the 'Latching' feature.

The product description on the Amazon website includes: "If one unit triggers an alarm, all smoke alarms in the series will sound. Power indicators show which unit in the series initiated the alarm." The second sentence is the one that relates to the Latching feature, which identifies the interconnected sensor that actually went off.

I ordered on 26 Sept 2011 and received a BRK 7020B that was made on 11 June 2009 - more than 2 years ago. Smoke alarms have a finite life, usually between 7 and 10 years. This model has a 10-year warranty "from date of purchase". Not sure I like their math!