BRK Brands 7010B Hardwire Smoke Alarm with Photoelectric Sensor and Battery Backup

Product Details

Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 8.1 x 15.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 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: B000H3AGZO
Item model number: 7010B

By : BRK
Price : $19.66
You Save : $24.33 (55%)

Product Description

Amazon.com Item Description
The BRK hardwire smoke alarm with photoelectric sensor is developed to cut down standard "nuisance" alarms. It is an superb selection for installations in or close to kitchens, close to fireplaces, or in hallways straight outside bathrooms, utility rooms, or other places prone to steam. This alarm is also a common selection for hotel/motel applications.
The 7010B AC-powered smoke alarm with photoelectric sensor consists of these features:

Photoelectric sensor which is a lot more successful at detecting smoldering fires which smolder for hours just 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 a single unit triggers an alarm, all smoke alarms in the series will sound. Power indicators show which unit in the series initiated the alarm.
Speedy plug-in power connector for effortless installation.
9-volt battery backup for peace of mind during power malfunction.
Alarm indication which in an interconnected method, automatically identifies which unit initiated the alarm.
Optipath 360 technologies enables 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 enables you to test the unit's functionality.
Locking function for tamper resistance.
ten-year restricted warranty.

All BRK Electronics smoke alarms meet UL 217 normal 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 A single smoke alarm, one particular 9-volt battery, and user's manual

1st ALERT PHOTO ELECTRONIC SMOKE ALARM 120V with 9V battery back-up (included) 85 dB alarm horn Manual test button Interconnectable up to 18 a number of station alarms
See all Item Description

Technical Details

120-volt hardwire smoke alarm with photoelectric sensor and battery backup
Features convenient silence/test button, dust cover, 85-decibel alarm
Alarm indicator identifies which unit triggered alarm
Inter-connectable with BRK and First Alert hardwired smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
9-volt battery included; 10-year limited warranty

Customer Reviews

My house was built using the BRK 9120B smoke alarms. A few months after moving in, they would go off in the middle of the night for no apparent reason (there were no fires). Never during the day, of course - always when I was deep asleep. Contacted BRK customer Service and was told the 9120 was susceptible to power fluctuations and that the power companies were known to 'do things' in the midle of the night. To test I disconnected the electrical connection and ran on battery only for a year - no false alarms. I ordered the 7010B to replace them and so far so good. The replacement was very easy as the connection plug is the same. I did have to remove and replace the mounting ring but that was only two screws per unit, and even then you only had to loosen the screws.

I purchased several BRK 7010Bs to replace the 4120Bs and 9120Bs that came with my house when it was built. As I've read in many reviews, both the 4120B and the 9120B would "cry wolf" from cooking and in the middle of the night and randomly chirp. I had enough so I did a little bit of research on smoke alarms and sensing technologies.
I chose the 7010B because I liked what I saw with the photoelectric sensor. Photoelectric sensing technology senses smoke particles from smoldering fires whereas ionization detects combustion particles from fast flaming fires. It turns out that a vast majority of home fire deaths are from the smoke itself, not the fire. Also, most home fires begin as slow smoldering fires. Ionization detectors are almost completely incapable of sensing smoke from smoldering fires. It would only make sense to me that my smoke alarm could actually sense real fire smoke and not just my cooking.
The other reason I chose the 7010B was that it carries the same basic features as the 9120B such as the slide out battery compartment, the combined test/silence button, and the ease of installation.
Installation was very easy too. All I had to do was replace the trim ring as the plug was exactly the same. I can't imagine the wire harness being hard to replace either if you do your own home electrical work.
So I installed the alarms and that was that until it was time for the real thing (more or less). I had some pasta boil over on the stove and the burner caught on fire. It wasn't major, maybe 6 to 8 inch flames, but a fire nonetheless. I was in the kitchen when it all went down and saw the whole thing. It was maybe 10 seconds from the time I saw the flames pop up to the time the smoke alarm in the next room shrieked to life (along with the rest of the interconnected detectors through the house). I'm confident that I would have caught it just in time whether or not I saw it happen because I know the alarm would have still gone off.
I should also mention that I have had no issues whatsoever with any of these alarms going off for cooking alone, no midnight false alarms and no random low battery chirps.
To sum it all up, it's a great, easy to install alarm that works when you need it to and not when you don't.