Kidde 900-CUAR User manual

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User Guide
Combination Photoelectric
Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarm
with Hardwire Interconnect
Model 900-CUAR
120V HARDWIRE INTERCONNECT
AA BATTERY BACKUP
AC POWER REQUIRED
SELFTESTING SEE SECTION 10
COMBINATION ALARM
P/N: 900-7201-06 Rev. B

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Thank You for Purchasing this Kidde Alarm
Hardwired for 120V AC, this model includes two replaceable AA backup batteries. It also contains HushTM
to temporarily silence nuisance alarms, and “self-testing” features (see section 10).
The smoke alarm takes precedence when both smoke and carbon monoxide are present.
Teach children how to respond to the alarm and that they should never play with the unit. This alarm is a
multi-criteria device designed to detect both smoke and carbon monoxide from any source of combustion in a
residential environment. It is not designed for use in a recreational vehicle (RV) or boat.
NOTE: Please thoroughly read this user guide and save the document for future reference and to pass on to
any subsequent owner. Images are representative only. Actual product may vary slightly.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the manufacturer recommend replacing this alarm
ten years from the date code on back of alarm.
Date Code (on back): ___________________
Date of Purchase: ___________________
Where Purchased: ___________________
Date to Replace: ___________________
Product Support: 1-800-880-6788
Please write down the below information
and have this at hand when you call.

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Contents
1. Smoke Alarm: What To Do When The Alarm Sounds . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2. Carbon Monoxide Alarm: What To Do When The Alarm Sounds . . . . . . . . 5
3. Other Alarm Visual And Audible Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
4. Troubleshooting Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
5. Introduction, Product Features And Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
6. Limitations Of Smoke And Carbon Monoxide Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
7. Recommended Locations For Smoke And Carbon Monoxide Alarms . . . . . . 11
8. Locations To Avoid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
9. Wiring / Installation / Activation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
10. Operation And Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
11. Recognizing Nuisance Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
12. Battery Back Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
13. General Carbon Monoxide (CO) Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
14. Cleaning Your Alarm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
15. Good Safety Habits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
16. Service And Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

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1. Smoke Alarm: What To Do When The Alarm Sounds
The smoke alarm pattern is three long beeps, a 1.5 second pause, and three long beeps repeating.
The red LED blinks in time with the alarm pattern only on the alarm(s) that detected the hazard (initiating alarm).
The smoke alarm takes precedence when both smoke and carbon monoxide are present.
•Alert small children in the home as well as anyone else that might have difficulty recognizing the
importance of the alarm sounding or that might have difficulty leaving the area without help.
•Plan two ways out! Leave immediately by your escape plan. Don’t waste time getting dressed or picking up
valuables.
•While leaving, don’t open any inside door without first feeling its surface. If hot, or if you see smoke seeping
through cracks, don’t open that door! Instead, use your alternate exit. If the inside of the door is cool, place
your shoulder against it, open it slightly and be ready to slam it shut if heat and smoke rush in.
•If the escape route requires you to go through smoke, stay close to the floor where the air is cleaner.
Crawl if necessary, and breathe shallowly through a cloth, wet if possible.
•Once outside, go to your selected meeting place and make sure everyone is there.
•Call the fire department or 911 from your cell phone outside, or from your neighbor’s home-not from yours!
•Don’t return to your home until the fire officials say that it is all right to do so.
NOTE: See Section RECOGNIZING NUISANCE ALARMS, for nuisance alarm situations.

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2. Carbon Monoxide Alarm: What To Do When The Alarm Sounds
The carbon monoxide (CO) alarm pattern is four quick beeps repeating every 5 seconds. The red LED blinks
in time with the alarm pattern only on the alarm(s) that detected the hazard (initiating alarm).
On DC power, after 4 minutes in CO alarm the alarm pattern will only occur every 60s.
WARNING: ACTUATION OF YOUR CO ALARM INDICATES THE PRESENCE OF CARBON
MONOXIDE CO WHICH CAN KILL YOU. IF ALARM SIGNAL SOUNDS:
1 Operate the Test/HushTM button. NOTE: Pressing the button on the alarming unit will silence the
alarm notification. If the unit goes into alarm mode again within six minutes, it is sensing high levels of
CO which can quickly become a dangerous situation.
2 Call your emergency services (Fire Department or 911). EMERGENCY PHONE #:___________
3 Immediately move to fresh air —outdoors or by an open door / window. Do a head count to check
that all persons are accounted for. Alert small children in the home as well as anyone else that might
have difficulty recognizing the importance of the alarm sounding or that might have difficulty leaving
the area without help. Do not reenter the premises or move away from the open door/window until the
emergency services responders have arrived, the premises have been aired out, and your alarm remains
in its normal condition.
4 After following steps 1-3, if the alarm reactivates within a 24 hour period, repeat steps 1-3 and call a
qualified appliance technician to investigate sources of CO from fuel burning equipment and appliances,
and to inspect for proper operation of equipment.
If problems are identified during this inspection, have the equipment serviced immediately. Note any
combustion equipment not inspected by the technician and consult the manufacturer’s instructions,
or contact the manufacturer directly for more information about CO safety and the equipment. Make
sure that motor vehicles are not, or have not been, operating in a garage attached or adjacent to the
residence. Never restart the source of a CO problem until it has been corrected. Never ignore the sound
of the alarm!
NOTE: See Section RECOGNIZING NUISANCE ALARMS, for nuisance alarm situations.

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3. Other Alarm Visual And Audible Indicators
Operational Mode Visual Indications Audible Indications Action/Note
Normal (standby) AC power: Green LED on
continuously.
DC power: Green LED blinks
approx every 60 sec.
Test (button press when
no alarm condition is
present)
(Note: Test is very loud,
stand a few feet away.)
Red LED blinks in time with
alarm pattern.
• Single beep.
•3 long beeps, pause, 3 long beeps,
4 quick beeps, pause, 4 quick beeps.
Perform button press once a week to
verify proper alarm operation.
Smoke or CO Alarm
Memory (unit has
experienced a smoke or
CO alarm event, or has
detected 100ppm CO or
greater.)
Smoke: Red LED blinks
every 15 sec.
CO: 2 red LED blinks
every 15 sec.
NOTE: Alarm memory is only retained
for 24 hrs.
Push button to clear Alarm Memory.
Smoke Alarm HushTM
Mode
Red LED blinks every 2 sec. After button push, smoke alarm
pattern stops. (If there is too much
smoke to allow Hush TM, smoke alarm
pattern continues.)
This feature is to be used only when
a known alarm condition, such as
smoke from cooking, activates the
alarm.
Push button during Hush TM to clear
Hush TM and perform a test.
CO Alarm Reset None After button push: CO alarm pattern
stops.
Unit is conrming if CO is present or
if it experienced a nuisance situation.
Re-alarm means danger. Move to fresh
air and call 911.
Initiating Alarm
(multiple alarms in an
interconnected system)
Red LED blinks in time with
alarm pattern indicating that this
is the unit initiating the alarm
in an interconnected, multiple
alarm, system.
NOTE: It is possible for more than
one unit to detect a hazard and
become an initiating alarm unit
(Red LED blinking).
Unit in either Smoke or CO alarm
mode.

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4. Troubleshooting Guide
3. Other Alarm Visual And Audible Indicators
If you require further information please contact Product Support at 1-800-880-6788 or write us at:
Kidde, 1016 Corporate Park Drive, Mebane, NC 27302. Our internet address is www.kidde.com.
Trouble Condition Visual Indications Audible Indications Action
False Low Battery
(AC power
connected before
backup batteries
activated)
Amber LED blinks
every 60 sec.
Chirp every 60 sec. * Pull the battery pull tab to activate the backup
batteries.
Low Battery Amber LED blinks every
60 sec.
Chirp every 60 sec. * Push button once to silence for 24 hrs.
(Pushbutton again to clear HushTM and perform
a test.)
Note: 7 days after Low Battery begins, the
notications cannot be silenced.
* Replace batteries as soon as possible.
Photo Fault Amber LED blinks every
60 sec.
3 chirps every 60 sec. * See Cleaning Your Alarm section.
* Push button once to attempt to reset the unit.
* If error continues, remove alarm, dispose unit,
and replace as soon as possible.
CO Fault Amber LED blinks 2 times
every 60 sec.
3 chirps every 60 sec. * Push button once to attempt to reset the unit.
* If error continues, remove alarm, dispose unit,
and replace as soon as possible.
Memory Fault Amber LED blinks 3 times
every 60 sec.
3 chirps every 60 sec. * Push button once to attempt to reset the unit.
* If error continues, remove alarm, dispose unit,
and replace as soon as possible.
End of Unit Life Amber LED blinks 2 times
every 60 sec.
2 chirps every 60 sec. * Push button once to silence for 24 hrs. (Push
button again to clear HushTM and perform
a test.)
Note: 7 days after End of Unit Life begins, the
notications cannot be silenced.
* Remove alarm, dispose unit, and replace as
soon as possible.
MCU Failure None Constant Tone * Remove alarm, dispose unit, and
replace as soon as possible.
Stuck Button Amber LED blinks 4 times
every 60 sec.
3 chirps every 60 sec. * Push button to dislodge it from being stuck.
If button cannot be unstuck, remove alarm,
dispose unit, and replace as soon as possible.

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5. Introduction, Product Features And Specifications
Introduction
This alarm detects products of combustion using a photoelectric sensor and carbon monoxide using an electro-
chemical cell. Many times throughout this User Guide, we will refer to Carbon Monoxide as “CO.”
Ten (10) years after the unit was installed, this unit will automatically alert you that it is time to replace the unit.
This is called “End of Unit Life” mode. See Troubleshooting Guide. To help identify the date to replace the unit, a
label has been affixed to the side of the alarm. Write the “Install date” in the space provided, and then write in
the “Replace by” date (10 years from initial power up) in permanent marker on the label prior to installing the unit.
Two labels have been provided that have important information on what to do in case of a CO alarm. Place one
label at eye level on a wall near the alarm after it is mounted, and one near a fresh air source such as a door or
window.
Product Features and Specifications:
•Temperature Operating Range: 40°F (4.4°C) to 100°F (37.8°C)
•Humidity Operating range: 10-95% RH non-condensing
•Audible Alarm: 85+ dB at 10’, 3.0 to 3.5 KHz pulsing alarm.
•Smoke Sensor: Photoelectric
•CO Sensor: Electrochemical
•Smoke Alarm HushTM
•Powered by 120VAC (60 Hz, 42 mA max) wire-in connector with two AA battery backup.
•Hardwire interconnectable to other compatible alarms.
•Self-testing (see section 10)

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6. Limitations Of Smoke And Carbon Monoxide Alarms
WARNING: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY AND THOROUGHLY
•Life safety from fire in residential occupancies is based primarily on early notification to occupants of the need to
escape, followed by the appropriate egress actions by those occupants.
•There are situations where a smoke alarm may not be effective to protect against fire as stated in the NFPA
Standard 72. For instance:
a) smoking in bed
b) leaving children home alone
c) cleaning with flammable liquids, such as gasoline
•Fire warning systems for dwelling units are capable of protecting about half of the occupants in potentially fatal
fires. A smoke alarm may not be effective in some situations, such as during incendiary fires where the fire grows so
rapidly that an occupant’s egress is blocked even with properly located smoke alarms, or when victims are intimate
with the fire (for example, when a person’s clothes catch fire while cooking), too old or young, or physically or
mentally impaired such that they cannot escape even when warned early enough that escape should be possible.
For these people, additional strategies such as protection-in-place or assisted escape or rescue are necessary. *
•Leading authorities recommend that both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms be installed to help ensure
optimal detection of the various types of fires that can occur within the home. Ionization sensing alarms may de-
tect invisible fire particles (associated with fast flaming fires) sooner than photoelectric alarms. Photoelectric sens-
ing alarms may detect visible fire particles (associated with slow smoldering fires) sooner than ionization alarms.
•A battery powered alarm must have a battery of the specified type, in good condition and installed properly (this
model includes two AA replaceable backup batteries).
•Smoke alarms must be tested regularly to make sure the battery and the alarm circuits are in good operating
condition.
•Smoke alarms cannot provide an alarm if smoke does not reach the alarm. Therefore, smoke alarms may not sense
fires starting in chimneys, within walls, on roofs, on the other side of a closed door or other obstruction.
•If the alarm is located outside the bedroom or on a different floor, it may not wake up a sound sleeper.
•The use of alcohol or drugs may also impair one’s ability to hear the smoke alarm. For optimal detection, a smoke
alarm should be installed in each sleeping area on every level of a home.
This alarm is not intended to alert hearing impaired individuals.
* Reference National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standard 72

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WARNING: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY AND THOROUGHLY
•IMPORTANT: This alarm is designed to detect carbon monoxide gas from ANY source of combustion. It is
NOT designed to detect any other gas.
CAUTION: This alarm will only indicate the presence of carbon monoxide gas at the sensor. Carbon
monoxide gas may be present in other areas. Never restart the source of a CO problem until it has been
fixed. NEVER IGNORE THE ALARM!
WARNING: THIS PRODUCT IS INTENDED FOR USE IN ORDINARY INDOOR LOCATIONS OF
FAMILY LIVING UNITS. IT IS NOT DESIGNED TO MEASURE COMPLIANCE WITH OCCUPATIONAL
SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION OSHA COMMERCIAL OR INDUSTRIAL STANDARDS. IT
IS NOT SUITABLE FOR INSTALLATION IN HAZARDOUS LOCATIONS AS DEFINED IN THE NATIONAL
ELECTRIC CODE. IT IS NOT DESIGNED FOR USE IN A RECREATIONAL VEHICLE RV OR BOAT.
•The installation of this device should not be used as a substitute for proper installation, use, and
maintenance of fuel burning appliances, including appropriate ventilation and exhaust systems.
•This alarm does not prevent CO from occurring, nor can it solve any existing CO problem.
WARNING: THIS DEVICE IS DESIGNED TO HELP PROTECT INDIVIDUALS FROM ACUTE
EFFECTS OF CARBON MONOXIDE EXPOSURE. IT WILL NOT FULLY SAFEGUARD INDIVIDUALS
WITH SPECIFIC MEDICAL CONDITIONS. IF IN DOUBT, CONSULT A MEDICAL PRACTITIONER.
INDIVIDUALS WITH MEDICAL PROBLEMS MAY CONSIDER USING WARNING DEVICES WHICH
PROVIDE AUDIBLE AND VISUAL SIGNALS FOR CARBON MONOXIDE CONCENTRATIONS
UNDER 30 PPM. *
•This alarm has not been investigated for carbon monoxide detection below 70 PPM.
•This device requires a continuous supply of electrical power from a healthy battery or AC connection,
depending on the model. It will not work without power.
* Reference Underwriters Laboratories (UL) standard 2034