Kidde 0976CA User manual

9 V Battery Operated
S
moke
A
larm
with Test Button and Hush®Control Feature
Alarm Manual
Model 0976CA
Manual P/N 820-0852 Rev. C
SINGLE STATION
SMOKE ALARM
Ionization sensing alarms may detect invisible fire
particles (associated with fast flaming fires) sooner
than photoelectric alarms. Photoelectric sensing
alarms may detect visible fire particles (associated
with slow smouldering fires) sooner than ionization
alarms. Home fires develop in different ways and
are often unpredictable. For maximum protection,
Kidde recommends that both Ionization and
Photoelectric alarms be installed.

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-16
Fire Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-20
Warranty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Contents
Introduction
Model 0976CA
Thank you for purchasing this smoke alarm. It is an
important part of your family’s home safety plan. You can
trust this product to provide the highest quality safety
protection. We know you expect nothing less when the
lives of your family are at stake.
Please take a few minutes to thoroughly read this alarm
manual, and save it for future reference. Teach children
how to respond to the alarms, and that they should never
play with the unit.
If you have any questions about the operation or
installation of your alarm, please call our toll free
Consumer Hotline at 1-800-880-6788.
Image 1C will help you determine the correct location of
safety products that will help make your home a safer place.
1
Made in China. Patents Pending
130 Esna Park Drive, Markham ON L3R 1E3
Consumer Hotline:
1-800-880-6788
www.kidde.ca

This product is designed to detect products of combustion
using the ionization technique. It contains 0.9 microcurie
of Americium 241, a radioactive material. Distributed under
U.S. NRC License No. 32-23858-01E. Manufactured in
compliance with U.S. NRC safety criteria in 10 CFR 32.27.
The purchaser is exempt from any regulatory
requirements.
This smoke alarm uses an extremely small amount of
radioactive element in the ionization sensor chamber. Do
not try to repair the smoke alarm yourself. Refer to the
instructions in Warranty for service.
WARNING! Removal of the smoke alarm battery will render the
smoke alarm inoperative.
IMPORTANT! Read all instructions before installation and keep
this manual near the alarm for future reference.
Installation
2

Recommended Locations
• Locate the first alarm in the immediate area of the
bedrooms. Try to monitor the exit path, as the
bedrooms are usually farthest from the exit. If more
than one sleeping area exists, locate additional alarms in
each sleeping area (Image 1A).
• Locate additional alarms to monitor any stairway as
stairways act like chimneys for smoke and heat.
• Locate at least one alarm on every floor level (Image 1B).
• Locate an alarm in every bedroom.
• Locate an alarm in every room where electrical
appliances are operated (i.e. portable heaters or
humidifiers).
• Locate an alarm in every room where someone sleeps
with the door closed. The closed door may prevent an
alarm not located in that room from waking the sleeper.
• Smoke, heat, and combustion products rise to the
ceiling and spread horizontally. Mounting the smoke
alarm on the ceiling in the center of the room places it
closest to all points in the room. Ceiling mounting is
preferred in ordinary residential construction.
• When mounting an alarm on the ceiling, locate it at a
minimum of 10 cm (4") from the side wall (Image 2A).
• When mounting the alarm on the wall, use an inside
wall with the top edge of the alarm at a minimum of 10
cm (4") and a maximum of 30.5 cm (12") below the
ceiling (Image 2A).
• Put smoke alarms at both ends of a bedroom hallway
or large room if the hallway or room is more than 9.1 m
(30') long.
• For mobile home installation, select locations carefully
to avoid thermal barriers that may form at the ceiling.
For more details, see Mobile Homes.
3
Installation

• Install smoke alarms on sloped, peaked or cathedral
ceilings at or within 0.9 m (3') of the highest point
(measured horizontally). NFPA Standard 72 states:
“Smoke alarms in rooms with ceiling slopes greater than
0.3 m in 2.4 m (1 foot in 8 feet) horizontally shall be
located on the high side of the room.” NFPA Standard 72
states: “A row of detectors shall be spaced and located
within 0.9 m (3') of the peak of the ceiling measured
horizontally” (Image 2B and Image 2C).
4
Installation
DINING
ROOM
LIVING
ROOM
Smoke Alarms for Minimum Protection
Ionization Type Smoke Alarm with
Hush® Control or Photoelectric Type
Smoke Alarms for Additional Protection
KITCHEN BEDROOM
BEDROOM
BEDROOM
LIVING
ROOM KITCHEN
BEDROOMBEDROOM HALL
BASEMENT
IMAGE 1A
IMAGE 1C
IMAGE 1B
SINGLE FLOOR PLAN MULTIPLE FLOOR PLAN
BEDROOM
FAMILY ROOM
WORKSHOPBASEMENT
KITCHEN
HALL
GARAGE
MASTER
BEDROOM
FIRE
EXTINGUISHERS
SMOKE
ALARMS
CARBON
MONOXIDE
ALARMS
TALKING
SMOKE/CO
ALARM
TOTAL HOME PROTECTION

Locations to Avoid
• Do not install within 0.9 m (3') of the following: The
door to a kitchen, or a bathroom that contains a tub or
shower, forced air supply ducts used for heating or
cooling, ceiling or whole house ventilating fans, or
other high air-flow areas.
• Do not place the alarm where drapes or other objects
will block the sensor. Smoke must be able to reach the
sensor to accurately detect conditions.
• Do not install in peaks of vaulted ceilings, “A” frame
ceilings or gabled roofs. (Less than 10 cm (4") from the
peak of an “A” frame type ceiling.)
• Install at least 30.5 cm (12") away from fluorescent
lights as electronic noise may cause nuisance alarms.
• Keep out of insect infested areas. Avoid excessively
dusty, dirty or greasy areas. Dust particles may cause
nuisance alarms or failure to alarm.
• Extreme temperatures may effect the sensitivity of the
alarm. Do not install in areas where the temperature is
colder than 4.4°C (40°F) or hotter than 37.8°C (100°F),
such as garages and unfinished attics.
• Do not install in areas where the relative humidity (RH)
is greater than 85%. Very humid areas, with moisture or
steam, can cause nuisance alarms.
• Avoid placing ionization smoke alarms in kitchen areas.
Normal cooking may cause nuisance alarms. If a
kitchen alarm is desired, it should have an alarm silence
feature or be a photoelectric type.
• Do not place in the garage. Particles of combustion are
present when you start your automobile.
• Smoke alarms are not to be used with detector guards
unless the combination (alarm and guard) has been
evaluated and found suitable for that purpose.
Installation
5

Installation
6
IMAGE 2A
IMAGE 2C
IMAGE 2B
HORIZONTAL DISTANCE FROM PEAK
CEILING
10 cm (4”)
MINIMUM
10 cm (4”)
MINIMUM
30.5 cm (12”)
MAXIMUM
SIDE WALL
BEST
PLACEMENT
ACCEPTABLE
PLACEMENT
NEVER HERE
STAGNANT
AIR
10 cm (4”)
0.9 m (3’) 0.9 m (3’)
NOT IN
THIS AREA
ANYWHERE IN THIS
AREA
10 cm (4”)
NOT IN
THIS AREA
ANYWHERE IN THIS
AREA
0.9 m (3’)

Mobile Homes
Modern mobile homes have been designed and built to be
energy efficient. Install smoke alarms as recommended in
Recommended Locations and Image 2A.
In mobile homes that are not well insulated compared to
present standards, extreme heat or cold can be transferred
from the outside to the inside through poorly insulated
walls and roof. This may create a thermal barrier that can
prevent the smoke from reaching an alarm mounted on
the ceiling. In such units, install the smoke alarm on an
inside wall with the top edge of the alarm at a minimum
of 10 cm (4") and a maximum of 30.5 cm (12") below the
ceiling (Image 2A).
If you are not sure about the insulation in your mobile
home, or if you notice that the outer walls and ceiling are
either hot or cold, install the alarm on an inside wall. For
minimum protection, install at least one alarm close to the
bedrooms. For additional protection, see Image 1A.
WARNING: Test your smoke alarm operation after R.V. or mobile
home vehicle has been in storage, before each trip and at least
once a week during use.
Mounting
CAUTION: This unit is sealed. The cover is not removable!
CAUTION: When wall mounting, the unit must be mounted so
that battery door faces down! (Image 3C) Incorrect orientation
of wall mounted smoke alarms will decrease operational
effectiveness.
• After selecting the proper smoke alarm location as
described previously, hold the mounting plate against
the selected installation location (wall or ceiling) and
mark the center of the holes with a pencil. To ensure
aesthetic alignment of the alarm with the hall-way, or
wall, the “A” line on the mounting plate should be
parallel with the hallway when ceiling mounted, or
horizontal when wall mounted (Image 3A and 3B).
Drill a hole through the pencil marks and use the
enclosed screws and anchors to secure. Use 3/16” drill
for anchor holes. Align the alarm with the mounting
plate and rotate clockwise (right) until the unit is aligned.
Installation
7

Installation
8
A A
IMAGE 3A
IMAGE 3C IMAGE 3D
“A” LINE
ALIGNMENT MARKS
WALL MOUNTING
POSITION
ROTATE TO MOUNT OR
TO REMOVE
IMAGE 3B
InstallRemove

Installation
9
• Install the alarm on the mounting plate and rotate the
alarm in the direction of the “ON” arrow on the cover
until the alarm ratchets into place (Image 3D). This
ratcheting function allows for aesthetic alignment.
Note: The alarm will attach to the mounting plate in
4 positions (every 90 degrees). When wall mounting, make
sure the battery door is at the bottom of the unit (Image 3C).
Battery
This unit will not function without a properly installed
battery, and is equipped with a battery lockout feature
which prevents the battery door from closing if a battery is
not installed correctly. See Maintenance section for
additional information concerning battery installation.
• For initial installation a pre-installed 9 V battery is
included with a battery pull tab that allows for easy
connection. Simply pull the tab out, and the battery is
connected! See Maintenance for additional information
concerning battery installation.
• Pull the Battery Pull Tab (yellow tab protruding from
the unit) completely out of the unit. This will
automatically connect the battery.
Testing
• Test the unit to ensure proper operation by pressing the
Test button.
CAUTION: Due to the loudness (85 decibels) of the alarm, always
stand an arms-length away from the unit when testing.
The smoke alarm is operating once a fresh battery is installed
and testing is complete. When the smoke alarm ionization
sensor chamber senses products of combustion, the horn will
sound a loud (85db) alarm until the sensing chamber is
cleared of smoke particles.
Operation