Kidde KN-COSM-B User Manual

User’s Guide for Model KN-COSM-B

Combination

Smoke and
Carbon Monoxide
Alarm

• Battery Operated

• 2-LED Display

®

Hush

•

• Peak Level
Memory

For questions concerning your Smoke and Carbon Monoxide

Alarm, please call our Consumer Hotline at 1-800-880-6788.

For your convenience, write down the following information. If you call

our consumer hotline, these are the first questions you will be asked:

Alarm Model Number

(located on back of the alarm):

Date of Manufacture

(located on back of the alarm):

Date of Purchase:

Where Purchased:

READ AND SAVE THIS USER’S GUIDE

Manual P/N 810-1191 Rev. G

Table of Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Product View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7

Operating/Installation Instructions

Step 1: Installing Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Step 2: Installation Instructions:

A. Recommended Installation Locations . . . . . . 9-11

B. Where Not to Install . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-13

C. How to Install . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-14

D. Tamper Resist Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Step 3: Testing the Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Step 4: Hush®Control Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-17

Step 5: Peak Level Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

What to do if the Alarm Sounds

Smoke Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-19

Carbon Monoxide Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-21

Battery Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-22

General Alarm Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-23

Carbon Monoxide Safety Information

General CO Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Possible Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23-24

CO Safety Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Symptoms of CO Poisoning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Fire Safety Information

Escape Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Fire Prevention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-27

Industry Safety Standards

National Fire Protection Association . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

California State Fire Marshall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Consumer Product Safety Commission . . . . . . . . . 28

NRC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Limited Warranty and Service Information . . . . . 29-30

Introduction

Thank you for purchasing the Kidde Combination Smoke
and Carbon Monoxide Alarm model #KN-COSM-B. This
alarm has a five-year limited warranty. Please take a few
minutes to thoroughly read this user’s guide, and save for
future reference. Teach children how to respond to the
alarms, and that they should never play with the unit.

Your Kidde Smoke/CO Alarm was 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.

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. The guide on page 26 will help
you determine the correct location of safety products that
will help keep your home a safer place.

1

Product View

FRONT

Test/Reset/Hush

Button

Alarm Sounder

Red LED

(Light Emitting Diode)

Green LED

(Light Emitting Diode)

2

Product View

3

2

1

INSTALL

THIRD

INSTALL
SECOND

INSTALL

FIRST

WARNING:

BATTERIES

HAVE BEEN

REMOVED

AA Battery

AA

AA

Battery

Battery

BACK

Battery Chamber

Battery Placement

3

Features

• Permanent independent smoke and carbon monoxide

sensors.

• Smoke alarm takes precedence when both smoke

and carbon monoxide are present.

• Alarm/Voice message warning system that alerts you of

the following conditions in the manner described
below, thus eliminating any confusion over which
alarm is sounding:
– FIRE: The alarm/voice pattern is three long alarm

beeps followed by the verbal warning message
“FIRE! FIRE!”. This pattern is repeated until the
smoke is eliminated. The red LED light will flash
while in alarm/voice mode.

– CARBON MONOXIDE: The alarm/voice pattern is

four short alarm beeps followed by the verbal
warning message “WARNING! CARBON
MONOXIDE!”. After four minutes the alarm/voice
pattern will sound once every minute until the
unit is reset, or the CO eliminated. The red LED
light will flash while in alarm/voice mode.

– LOW BATTERY: When the batteries are low and

need replacing the red LED light will flash and the
unit will “chirp” one time, followed by the warning
message “LOW BATTERY”. This cycle will occur once
every minute for the first hour. After the first hour
the red LED light will continue to flash every minute
accompanied by the “chirp” only sound. The voice
message “LOW BATTERY” will sound once every
fifteen minutes during the “chirp” only cycle.
This will continue for at least seven days.

• One “chirp” every 30 seconds is an indication that

the alarm is malfunctioning. If this occurs call the
Consumer Hotline at 1-800-880-6788.

4

Features

• After seven (7) years of cumulative power up, this unit

will “chirp” every 30 seconds. This is an "operational end
of life" feature which will indicate that it is time to replace
the alarm.

• Loud 85 decibel alarm

• Oversized test button for easy activation

• Test button performs the following functions:

– Tests the units electronics and verifies proper unit

operation
– Resets the unit during CO alarm
– Peak Level Memory (see page 16)
– Activates Hush®Feature (see page 17)

• Mounting bracket designed for easy orientation
of unit

• Green and red LED lights that indicate normal
operation and alarm status
– Green Light: The green LED light flashes every 30

seconds to indicate the unit is operating properly
and once every 2 seconds to indicate the unit is in
HUSH®mode. The green light also flashes before a
CO reading is taken and when any button is
pressed.

– Red Light: When a dangerous level of smoke or

carbon monoxide is detected the red LED light will
flash and the corresponding alarm pattern
(depending on the source) will sound. If the unit
malfunctions, the red LED light will flash and the
unit will chirp every 30 seconds indicating a system
problem.

• Powered by three (3) AA batteries

• Battery lockout system that prohibits installation
without using three batteries

• Tamper Resist Feature that deters children and others
from removing the alarm

5

Smoke Alarm Features

Smoke Alarm

The smoke alarm monitors the air for products of combus­tion that are produced when something is burning or smol­dering. When smoke particles in the smoke sensor reach a
specified concentration, the alarm/voice message warning
system will sound, and be accompanied by the flashing red
LED light. The smoke alarm takes precedence when

both smoke and carbon monoxide are present.

NFPA 72 states: 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. Fire warning systems for
dwelling units are capable of protecting about half of the
occupants in potentially fatal fires. Victims are often inti­mate with the fire, 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, other strategies such as protection-in-place or
assisted escape or rescue are necessary.

• Smoke alarms are devices that can provide early warn

ing of possible fires at a reasonable cost; however,
alarms have sensing limitations. 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 smoldering 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.

• A battery powered alarm must have a battery of the

specified type, in good condition and installed properly.

• AC powered alarms (without battery backup) will not

operate if the AC power has been cut off, such as by
an electrical fire or an open fuse.

6

Carbon Monoxide Alarm Features

• Smoke alarms must be tested regularly to make sure

the batteries 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, walls, on roofs, on the
other side of a closed door or on a different floor.

• 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 maximum
protection, a smoke alarm should be installed in each
sleeping area on every level of a home.

• Although smoke alarms can help save lives by

providing an early warning of a fire, they are not a
substitute for an insurance policy. Home owners and
renters should have adequate insurance to protect their
lives and property.

Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarm

The carbon monoxide (CO) alarm monitors the air for the
presence of CO. It will alarm when there are high levels of
CO present, and when there are low levels of CO present
over a longer period of time. When a CO condition match­es either of these situations, the alarm/voice message warn­ing system will sound, and be accompanied by the flashing
red LED light. The carbon monoxide sensor uses an electro­chemical technology.

CAUTION: This alarm will only indicate the presence
of carbon monoxide gas at the sensor. Carbon monox­ide gas may be present in other areas.

Individuals with medical problems may consider using warn­ing devices which provide audible and visual signals for car­bon monoxide concentrations under 30 ppm.

7

Operating and Installation Instructions

3

2

1

INSTALL

THIRD

INSTALL
SECOND

INSTALL

FIRST

WARNING:

BATTERIES

HAVE BEEN

REMOVED

AA Battery

AA

AA

Battery

Battery

Step 1: Installing Batteries

Batteries were not installed at the factory and must
be installed for the unit to operate! Install the three (3)

AA batteries in the back of the Smoke/CO Alarm.

• The mounting plate must be removed from the back of

the unit to install batteries. To remove, hold the
mounting plate and twist counterclockwise (left).

Batteries Must Be Installed in Order Shown Below:

Install

3

Last

Install

2

Second

Install

1

First

3

• The battery polarity markings

on the bottom of the battery
compartment must be adhered to.

• Batteries must be installed in the sequence shown. If

batteries seem difficult to install, they’re not being
installed in the proper sequence.

• Smoke/CO Alarm will not engage to bracket unless

all three batteries are installed. Removal of any or all
batteries will render the Smoke/CO Alarm inoperative!

• After the batteries are correctly installed the unit

will beep once and the red LED light will flash.
After 20-30 seconds the green LED light will flash
indicating the unit is now operational.

CAUTION: Your Smoke/CO Alarm is sealed and the
cover is NOT removable!

8

2
1

Operating and Installation Instructions

Step 2: Installation Instructions

IMPORTANT: THIS ALARM MUST BE MOUNTED ON A
CEILING OR WALL. IT WAS NOT DESIGNED FOR USE
AS A TABLETOP DEVICE! INSTALL ONLY AS DETAILED!

A. Recommended Installation Locations:

Kidde Safety recommends the installation of a Smoke/CO
Alarm in the following locations. For maximum protection
we suggest an alarm be installed on each level of a multi­level home, including every bedroom, hallways, finished
attics and basements. Put alarms at both ends of bedroom,
hallway or large room if hallway or room is more than
30 ft. (9.1m) long. If you have only one alarm, ensure it is
placed in the hallway outside of the main sleeping area, or
in the main bedroom. Verify the alarm can be heard in all
sleeping areas.

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 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 4” (10cm) from the side wall (see diagram A).
If installing the alarm on the wall, use an inside wall with
the top edge of the alarm at a minimum of 4” (10cm) and
a maximum of 12” (30.5cm) below the ceiling (see
Diagram A).

9

Operating and Installation Instructions

Sloped Ceiling Installation:

The following information is from the National Fire
Protection Association and is listed in Fire Code 72. Install
Smoke Alarms on sloped, peaked or cathedral ceilings at, or
within 3 ft (0.9m) of the highest point (measured horizon­tally). NFPA 72 states “Smoke alarms in rooms with ceiling
slopes greater than 1 ft to 8 ft (.3 m-2.4 m) horizontally
shall be located on the high side of the room”.

NFPA 72 states “A row of alarms shall be spaced and
located within 3 ft (0.9 m) of the peak of the ceiling meas­ured horizontally” (See figure 2).

10

FIGURE 1

Operating and Installation Instructions

FIGURE 2

Mobile Homes:

Modern mobile homes have been designed and built to be
energy efficient. Install Smoke/CO alarms as recommended
above (refer to Recommended Installation Instructions and
figure 1). In older mobile homes that are not well insulated,
extreme heat or cold can be transferred from the outside to
the inside through poorly insulated walls and roof. This may
cause a thermal barrier, which can prevent smoke from
reaching an alarm mounted on the ceiling. In such mobile
homes install your Smoke/CO Alarm on an inside wall with
the top edge of the alarm at a minimum of 4 inches (10cm)
and a maximum of 12 inches (30.5cm) below the ceiling
(See figure 1). 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 your alarm on an inside
wall ONLY!

THIS EQUIPMENT SHOULD BE INSTALLED IN ACCOR­DANCE WITH THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIA­TION’S STANDARD 72 (National Fire Protection
Association, Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02269).

11

Operating and Installation Instructions

WARNING - This product is intended

for use in ordinary indoor locations of
family living units. It is not designed to

!

B. Where Not to Install:
Do not install in garages, kitchens, furnace rooms or
bathrooms! INSTALL AT LEAST 5 FEET AWAY FROM
ANY FUEL BURNING APPLIANCE.

Do not install within 3 ft (.9m) 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. Avoid excessively dusty, dirty or greasy areas. Dust,
grease or household chemicals can contaminate the alarm’s
sensors, causing it to not operate properly.

Place the alarm where drapes or other objects will not block
the sensors. Smoke and CO must be able to reach the sen­sors to accurately detect these conditions. Do not install in
peaks of vaulted ceilings, “A” frame ceilings or gabled
roofs (see diagram A). Keep out of damp and humid areas.

measure compliance with Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
commercial or industrial standards.

12

Operating and Installation Instructions

Install at least one (1) foot away from fluorescent lights,
electronic noise may cause nuisance alarms. Do not place in
direct sunlight and keep out of insect infested areas.
Extreme temperatures will effect the sensitivity of the
Smoke/CO Alarm. Do not install in areas where the tem­perature is colder than 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4.4 Celsius)
or hotter than 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 Celsius), such
as garages and unfinished attics. Do not install in areas
where the relative humidity (RH) is above 85%. Place away
from doors and windows that open to the outside.

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.

C. How to Install:

To help identify the date to replace the unit, a label has
been affixed to the side of the alarm. Write the “Replace
by” date (7 years from initial power up) in permanent mark­er on the label. See Alarm Replacement section for addi­tional information.

Remove mounting
plate from the back
of the unit by hold­ing the rim of the
mounting plate and
twisting counter­clockwise (left). See
Diagram C. Hold the
mounting plate
against the selected
installation location
(wall or ceiling) and
mark the center of
the holes with a
pencil.

Remove

DIAGRAM C

Mounting

Plate

Install

13

Operating and Installation Instructions

To ensure aesthetic alignment of the alarm with the hallway
or wall, the “A” line on the mounting plate should be par­allel with the hallway when ceiling mounting, or horizontal
when wall mounting. See Diagram D.

DIAGRAM D

Drill a hole through the pencil
marks and use the enclosed
screws and anchors (see dia­gram E) to secure (use 3/16”
drill bit for anchor holes).
Align the Smoke/CO Alarm
with the mounting plate and
rotate clockwise (right) until
the unit is aligned. Screw and
anchor accessories are sup­plied.

DIAGRAM E

Two labels are included with your alarm. They have impor­tant information on what to do in case of an alarm. Add the
phone number of your emergency provider (Fire Department
or 911) in the space provided. Place one label next to the
alarm after it is mounted, and one label near a fresh air
source such as a door or window.

14

Operating and Installation Instructions

D. Tamper Resist Feature:

To make your smoke alarm tamper resistant, a tamper resist
feature has been provided. Activate the tamper resist fea­ture by breaking off the four posts in the square holes in
the trim ring (see figure A). When the posts are broken off,
the tamper resist tab on the base is allowed to engage the
mounting bracket. Rotate the alarm onto the mounting
bracket until you hear the tamper resist tab snap into place,
locking the alarm on the mounting bracket. Using the
tamper resist feature will help deter children and others
from removing the alarm from bracket. NOTE: To remove
the alarm when the tamper resist tab is engaged, press
down on the tamper resist tab, and rotate the alarm off of
the bracket (see figure B).

Posts

A

A

FIGURE A

FIGURE B

15

Operating and Installation Instructions

Step 3: Testing the Alarm

The test button has four purposes. It tests the unit’s elec­tronics, resets the alarm, activates the Hush® feature, and
activates the peak level memory.

CAUTION: Due to the loudness (85 decibels) of the
alarm, always stand an arms length away from the
unit when testing.

• To test: Press and release the test/reset button and a
series of beeps will sound, followed by the message
“Fire! Fire!”, then another two series of beeps and the
message “Warning! Carbon Monoxide”, followed by
4 additional short beeps.

• Reset: If the the Smoke/CO Alarm is sounding a CO
alarm, pressing the test/reset button will silence the
alarm. If the CO condition that caused the alert
continues, the alarm will reactivate. Reactivation times
depend on the amount of CO present. See page 21.

• Hush®: If the Smoke/CO Alarm is sounding a Smoke
alarm, pressing the test/reset button will temporarily
silence the alarm. If the smoke level continues to build,
the alarm will reactivate. See Step 4: Hush®Control
Feature.

• Peak Level Memory: If 8 chirps are made when
pushing the test/reset button, the unit has detected

a CO level of 100 PPM or greater.

Weekly testing is required! If at anytime it does not per­form as described, verify the three batteries are installed
correctly and that they don’t need replacing. Clean dust
and other buildup off the unit. If it still doesn’t operate
properly call the Consumer Hotline at 1-800-880-6788.

Step 4: Hush®Control Feature

The Hush®feature has the capability of temporarily desensi­tizing the smoke alarm circuit for approximately 10 minutes.

16

Operating and Installation Instructions

This feature is to be used only when a known alarm condi­tion, such as smoke from cooking, activates the alarm. You
can put your Smoke/CO Alarm in Hush®mode by pushing
the test/reset button. If the smoke is not too dense, the
alarm will silence immediately and the green LED light will
flash every 2 seconds for approximately 10 minutes. This
indicates that the smoke alarm is in a temporarily desensi­tized condition. Your Smoke/CO Alarm will automatically
reset after approximately 10 minutes. When the unit returns
to normal operation after being in Hush®mode the alarm
will sound if smoke is still present. The Hush®feature can
be used repeatedly until the air has been cleared of the
condition causing the alarm. While the unit is in Hush
mode, pushing the test/reset button on the alarm will also
end the Hush®period.

NOTE: DENSE SMOKE WILL OVERRIDE THE HUSH®CON­TROL FEATURE AND SOUND A CONTINUOUS ALARM.

CAUTION: BEFORE USING THE ALARM HUSH®FEA­TURE, IDENTIFY THE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE AND BE
CERTAIN A SAFE CONDITION EXISTS.

Step 5: Peak Level Memory

If the CO sensor has detected a CO level of 100 PPM or
higher since last reset, it will be recorded by the Peak Level
Memory function. To access the Peak Level Memory press
the test/reset button. If a reading of 100 PPM or higher has
been recorded the unit will chirp 8 times. If you’ve been
away from home this feature allows you to check if there
was a CO reading of 100 PPM, or higher, during your
absence. Pushing the test/reset button resets the memory.
It’s also reset when batteries are removed.

®

17

What To Do If The Alarm Sounds

NEVER IGNORE THE SOUND OF THE ALARM!

Determining what type of alarm has sounded is easy with
your Kidde Combination Smoke/CO Alarm. The voice mes­sage warning system will inform you of the type of situa­tion occurring. Refer to the Features section on page 4 for a
detailed description of each alarm pattern.

When the smoke alarm sounds:

Smoke alarms are designed to minimize false alarms.
Cigarette smoke will not normally set off the alarm, unless
the smoke is blown directly into the alarm. Combustion
particles from cooking may set off the alarm if located too
close to the cooking area. Large quantities of combustible
particles are generated from spills or when broiling. Using
the fan on a range hood which vents to the outside (non­recirculating type) will also help remove these combustible
products from the kitchen.
If the alarm sounds, check for fires first. If a fire is discov­ered follow these steps. Become thoroughly familiar with
these items, and review with all family members!

• Alert small children in the home. Children sleep very
sound and may not be awakened by the sound of the
smoke alarms.

• Leave immediately using one of your planned escape
routes (see page 25). Every second counts, don’t stop
to get dressed or pick up valuables.

18

What To Do If The Alarm Sounds

• Before opening inside doors look for smoke seeping in
around the edges, and feel with the back of your hand.
If the door is hot use your second exit. If you feel it’s
safe, open the door very slowly and be prepared to
close immediately if smoke and heat rush in.

• If the escape route requires you to go through smoke,
crawl low under the smoke where the air is clearer.

• Go to your predetermined meeting place. When two
people have arrived one should leave to call 911 from
a neighbor’s home, and the other should stay to
perform a head count.

• Do not reenter under any circumstance until fire
officials give the go ahead.

• 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 unsupervised
c) cleaning with flammable liquids, such as gasoline

19