Smoke Alarm For Hearing Impaired

 
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We started looking for smoke alarms for hearing impaired because getting older sometimes comes with getting problems with you hearing. One of the problems I read is that in case of a fire the installed smoke and fire detectors were not heard. I also found that some companies have developed hearing impaired smoke detectors. After doing my research I see that the best ones are smoke alarms with strobe light. As always there are good ones and bad ones and I could only fonud two that got over a 4 star rating.

Both of these have to hard wired and although many people look for battery operated smoke alarm for hearing impaired I could not find one. This has to do with the fact that the strobe light needs more power than a battery can deliver I guess. Plus the fact that they can be interconnected in the same electric group to activate one an other.

The 2 best smoke detectors for hearing impaired

Like I mentioned I could only find 2 brands and models that received good ratings. I do not recommend or review products with a rating under 4 stars in general.

BRK 7010BSL smoke detector with strobe light

Let’s start with the highest rated one. One thing I liked is that if you buy more than one they will be automatically be interconnected. This means that if one goes of the other ones will also go of.

The installation can be done with a little knowledge. Basically if you can hang up a lamp you can install this hearing impaired fire alarm yourself. If not hire an electrician or ask a friend to install it. This product can also be bought with installation for an additional fee.

Although this smoke alarm is hard wired it still comes with a backup battery. The con is that it does not power the strobe light in case of a power outage. But like I wrote before I could not find any battery operated smoke alarm with strobe light.
The backup battery can be replaced without having to take the unit down. There is an opening to side load the batter.

What we found out in the reviews of the BRK 7010BSL smoke detector

1 star raters did not read the product description since they complaint that it does not work just on the batteries.
2 star rater gave the advice to ask your doctor about your hearing range if this might work. But they loved the strobe light.
3 star raters. No 3 star raters
4 star ratings loved the loud alarm and very bright strobe light.
5 star ratings. Testing the system showed that it works well and also set of the connected alarms. Easy to install was another plus.
You can click on the picture on the side to read all customer reviews

Our opinion

With 91% 3,4 and 5 star ratings this is a smoke alarm for people with hearing problems we can recommend as a good buy.
If you buy more of them they will connect and this will improve the total fire safety of your house.

It was mentioned that is also connects to other brands sometimes, but we recommend to use the same brand to make sure that they work.

Kidde SL177i Fyrnetics strobe light smoke alarm interconnected

The Kidde hearing impaired fire alarm only was rated 4.1 stars and only a little shy of the BRK we reviewed above.

This is not a stand alone smoke alarm

• • This smoke alarm needs to be interconnected with a working smoke alarm.
  • Another thing is that it only uses the strobe light and no alarms sound

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All together this alarm is very usable to extend your existing smoke alarm with a strobe light in an other room.
Very useful for warning that the stove in the kitchen needs attention for example.

Pros:

• Easy to install
• Very bright strobe

Cons:

• No audible alarm
• Not a stand a lone

How many smoke alarms do you need

Because smoke can stay in one area and does not always reach other parts of the house the minimum that is recommended is one on each floor level and one in every bedroom.
You can read the national fire protection association’s recommendations here.

Will a strobe light wake you up?

This was one of the questions I had myself and I found several articles that mentioned that many people are sensitive to this light effect and will wake up when this happens in a dark bedroom. This might not work for everybody however meaning that you have to test it maybe with a strong flashlight.

If you have any experience with this type of smoke alarms for hearing impaired feel free to share it in the comments below.

Eddie Vandam

Eddie Vandam, the voice behind the Senior Citizen Website, is a retired internet marketer and proud senior. With a passion for helping fellow seniors navigate the complexities of aging, Eddie shares his insights on health, independence, products, and enriching hobbies. He’s committed to making senior years both fulfilling and enjoyable. Read more about Eddie Vandam.