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| |  | Fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors | Home » » » » First Alert/Jarden SC9120B Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm | | | | | | | Description: | | Smoke/co alarm. This smoke and CO combination alarm eliminates the need for 2 electrical boxes and features a permanently installed CO sensor and dual ionization smoke sensor, separate visual and audible smoke and CO indication to eliminate confusion, I | | | Features: | |
• Smoke/co alarm
• This smoke and CO combination alarm eliminates the need for 2 electrical boxes and features a perma
• Also incluedes an 85dB horn, 9V battery backup, 2 silence features: Can silence the low battery chir
• 120V AC/DC
• Limited 5 year warranty
| | | Product Details: | | | Product Length:
| 5.59 inches | | Product Width:
| 2.25 inches | | Product Height:
| 5.69 inches | | Product Weight:
| 0.65 pounds | | Package Length:
| 6.0 inches | | Package Width:
| 5.9 inches | | Package Height:
| 2.4 inches | | Package Weight:
| 0.65 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 91 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 91 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
56 of 60 found the following review helpful:
Definitely an upgrade -- and a simple swap, too!Jul 16, 2008
By ck
"moonshadow"
Our house was wired for smoke detectors -- specifically the rather cheesy BRK 4120SB, which delights in false "low power" chirping. My goal was to replace the ones in the bedrooms with combination alarms that would alert us not only to smoke but to the presence of carbon monoxide. (Not to scare you but harm and even death from carbon monoxide poisoning are definite risks, especially in a home with deep-sleeping teenagers.)
I needed units that would be compatible with the wiring of our current system, and ideally ones that would accept the power leads, as wired. After some research here and elsewhere, I called the BRK help line and got definite information about the unit that would be compatible, as well as locations within the home where I both should and should not install units.
I ordered two units to start with, still being a bit leery of my previous experience, and can say that installation took less than 5 minutes per device.
1. Follow the instructions for removing the plastic tab in the battery door of your new unit and pushing the button to test your new unit. If all's well, proceed. Disregard the "locking pin" stuff unless you are in a shared dwelling and are concerned with someone walking off with your 9-volt battery. (This was the weirdest part of the instructions, frankly, and this is my guess on why it's there.) **Important: you are listening for 3 tones, pause, 3 tones, pause, 4 tones, pause, 4 tones. There is a typo at the bottom of page 3 of the instructions, so I've just verified with BRK that the tone pattern I'm mentioning is the correct one.
2. Twist off and unplug your current unit.
3. Back the two screws holding your collar to the ceiling so you have enough clearance to remove the collar.
4. Install the new collar.
5. Install your new unit. (A wired plug is included in case you need to swap your existing plug for the new plug.)
Fellow owners of the 4120SB will find that the upgraded unit sets and locks into place in the ceiling *much* easier and more reliably. Ditto with the battery door. Note that on the SC9120B, if you're having problems with the battery door not shutting (a) there is a little trigger tab that you should be able to push down with a fingernail and/or (b) hold the unit upside-down.
***A word, please, about longevity, since the primary purpose of an alarm is your safety.
1. Replace your batteries at least once a year.
2. Combo smoke/carbon monoxide units have a 5-year life span, per BRK staff. Regular smoke alarms have a 10-year lifespan. Not replacing them within these timespans is, in my opinion, the most dangerous kind of false economizing. (Note also that if you need help, the BRK customer service apparently has improved greatly since the experience of earlier reviewers of the product line. The call I made in June could not have been more thorough and professional, even to dealing with the phantom beeps of my 5-year-old alarms.)
3. Whether or not you buy this or any smoke alarm product, please do yourself and your family two favors. First, label the plug (hidden) side of your units with the install and replace dates. Second, change your batteries at least once a year.
BTW, I gave the unit a 4 rather than a 5 because while the battery door and twist-on/twist-off issues are less irritating than on the earlier generation, they still do exist.
29 of 33 found the following review helpful:
 Stay clear of this headacheFeb 07, 2009
By James L. Dunn
Received three BRK SC9120B replacements after original units (4 years old) started a low battery chirp with new Duracell batteries. Spoke with BRK rep. about problem and they sent three new units with Duracell batteries. The units worked fine for about two weeks before all three started to chirp a low battery signal. In that time our other three BRK smoke only detectors that were installed 4 years ago started the same chirping sound. Again called BRK and they were going to send us three replacements for them. After the nightmare of having six four year old BRK products fail in a matter of three weeks and three brand new replacement units fail in two weeks. I would stay away from BRK! I have read elsewhere about an issue with BRK and Duracell so I was a bit surprised when the new units arrived with Duracell batteries in them.
42 of 51 found the following review helpful:
No Zero Stars Option - Alarm Resulted in Massive Property DamageDec 21, 2010
By Juana
"Juanita Beasley"
I have a rental property and this year, the city's new regulation required installation of these detectors. One of the detectors malfunctioned and the terrified tenant called 911, who proceeded to do over 1000 dollars in property damage.
I subsequently found out that even the EPA has admitted that many of the CO detectors they tested were unreliable, and either went off at too low of a level or did not sound at dangerously high levels.
According to their website, the best way to keep the building's inhabitants safe is to have fuel-burning appliances properly installed and maintained by licensed professionals to make sure that the gases (including CO) are vented properly.
I ended up doing a lot of research related to CO as a result. I have the documentation from the Fire Department indicating the levels that they measured (WAY BELOW the low threshold on the detector) even near the detector.
I knew that a problem was unlikely since the heat wasn't even ON at the time.
Nevertheless, they broke into two apartments, destroying irreplaceable historic doors and frames. Even the fire chief told me that if I have a hard-wired smoke detector/CO detector combo, I should get it replaced as they have had false alarms with that type of detector. But as mentioned on the EPA website, and evidenced by many other reviews on Amazon etc, CO detection is apparently in it's infancy and I'm surprised that these detectors are even being sold, much less required by law.
Unfortunately, according to my lawyer, it's more trouble than it's worth to sue the city, so I had to suck up the CONSIDERABLE expenses myself. Not to mention my poor tenant, who was (unharmed of course) but anxious.
I am so ANGRY, but the only thing I can do apparently is to WARN other people about these alarms. If you have one in your house and there's a false alarm, that's one thing. But if a tenant has a false alarm, you are vulnerable in many different ways.
The WORST thing about this type of alarm is that if the CO part malfunctions, you've lost your smoke alarm as well. In addition, since it's installed high on the ceiling, if it false alarms, you have to get on a ladder to turn the thing off.
I would not recommend the first alert smoke/CO alarm to ANYONE.
10 of 11 found the following review helpful:
False alarm went off the moment we installed it, and did not stop even after we uninstalledJan 24, 2009
By NYC Mike
"ny_mike"
This product immediately triggered a false alarm. There was no way to stop this unit from indicating a false smoke alram other than disconnecting it, and pulling the 9V battery from the unit.
7 of 7 found the following review helpful:
So sensitive I can't use itOct 24, 2011
By J. Marino
"Drama Queen"
My condo unit had this alarm installed when I moved it. It was located at least 25 feet from the kitchen, around a corner and down a hallway, where there is plenty of air circulation. But it was so overly sensitive that it would go off nearly every time I used the cooktop. Never mind that nothing was smoking. It would even go off when I used the oven to bake a cake, for god's sake! When it went off while I was gently sauteeing mushrooms, on the back burner with the vent fan already on, I had had enough. In an apartment with no proximity to a furnace or a kerosene heater, I am not concerned about CO. And if every time I cook I have to open every window in the place and put the vent fan on full blast, I'll do without. An alarm that goes off all the time is as bad, or worse, than no alarm at all. I pulled it out and removed the battery.
See all 91 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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