First Alert 9120BFF – The Smoke Alarm of Choice? Having smoke alarms inside a home is absolutely essential to overall safety. Choosing one, however, can be a bit difficult because there are so many options out there that you may feel overwhelmed. One option available to you is the First Alert 9120BFF. First Alert, owned by BRK, is one of the best known and most trusted manufacturers of at home safety devices in this country. There are numerous different First Alert smoke detectors, each with their own particular pros and cons and special features. It is important that you consider them carefully so that you can choose the one that is right for you. Let’s take a look, therefore, at what the 9120BFF has to offer. Click here for the Top 10 Best Smoke Detectors.
About the First Alert 9120BFF
The First Alert 9120BFF is a white smoke alarm. It is hard wired, which means it uses your own electrical system to have power and be able to function. It is a reasonably compact alarm, measuring 5.6” in diameter by 2” in height. It also comes with a 9V battery backup, which ensures that the alarm will continue to function even if there is an electrical outage, for instance due to an electrical fire. The battery compartment is easy to access, being located on the smoke detector’s side. This means that, when it comes to replacing the battery, you don’t have to take the alarm down.
The 9120BFF is fitted with dual chamber ionization detection sensors. This means that it is able to alert you if there are small smoke particles, which are most common during a flaming fire. If, for instance, kitchen grease or paper catches fire, the smoke that is produced will be detected by the alarm. It is not a photoelectric detector, however, which means it will find it more difficult to detect the smoke particles produced by a smoldering fire.
Being a First Alert device, you are also covered by a 10 year limited warranty. Smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years, which means that your device is covered for its entire lifetime, in other words. BRK is also known for its excellent level of customer service, so if you do have to take advantage of the warranty, it is very easy to do so.
The device is also fitted with an LED light. If it lights up with a green color, the smoke detector is in the normal mode, which means that it is running on AC power and is fully operational. If it has to access battery power, the LED light will turn red and it will flash ever minute. Should there not be a battery, or if the battery is low on power, the red LED will flash once per minute, accompanied by a chirping sound. This is an important feature, because it means you can always know whether your device is powered and therefore capable of alerting you in case of a fire.
Should the device detect a fire, the red LED light will start to flash repeatedly. It will also come with a sound alert, which is three beeps, pause, and so on. This means you can both see and hear that there is a fire. Additionally, First Alert has included smart technology in this device, which means it won’t go off as a result of cooking or shower steam, for instance. Should the alarm sound and you are certain that there is no fire and that it is a false alarm, you can switch it off and silence it by pressing a single button, which will silence it for 10 minutes. In case of a false alarm, the source that set the alarm off in the first place should have dissipated. That button can also be used to test the alarm.
If the sensors detect a level of smoke high enough to sound the alarm, the latching indicator will activate automatically. This is an extra feature that ensures you, service technicians, and/or first responders are able to determine which alarm was the first to sound if a fire did occur. This will help them locate the original source of the fire. This feature will feature a green LED light, which will light up for two seconds and switch off for two seconds, continuing to do so until a manual reset is done. This feature is particularly useful if you have connected more devices to it. The First Alert smoke detector can be interconnected to a total of 18 other devices, 12 of which can be smoke alarms.
The BRK First Alert 9120BFF is very easy to use thanks to its silence and test button and the fact that it comes with both a visual and audible reminder of low battery makes it very safe.
What I Liked About First Alert 9120BFF
⦁ 18 compatible devices can be connected to the 9120BFF, 12 of which can be smoke alarms.
⦁ The ionization sensor enable it to detect flaming fires, which are fast-moving and particularly dangerous.
⦁ The alarm sounds at 85 dB, which is the recommended standard.
⦁ It comes with a low battery alert, both visible and audible.
⦁ You are given a 10 year warranty, which covers the lifetime of the device.
⦁ It is easy to install.
⦁ It is fully UL certified.
What I Didn’t Like About First Alert 9120BFF
⦁ The device is known to have more regular false alarms than other smoke detectors, particularly BRK detectors.
⦁ It does not have photoelectric sensors, which means it will not detect smoldering fires.
The Final Verdict
Overall, the First Alert 9120BFF is designed to be easy to install and to offer home and office dwellers with optimal performance, thereby ensuring that they do not get too many false alarms and can have the early warning they need to escape a fire. While there have been some reports of false alarms, the alarm is very easy to switch off. Overall, the device is very positively reviewed, which is to be expected of a First Alert/BRK device. Do remember that this smoke detector does not detect smoldering fires. However, since it can be connected to a further 12 other smoke detectors, you could easily install both and be sure that you are fully protected. This smoke detector is therefore 100% recommended overall.