3 Ways to Know It’s Time to Replace Your Smoke Alarm

2/5/2019 (Permalink)

Smoke detectors can save your home and your life.

A fire or smoke alarm offers one of the simplest and most affordable ways to protect your home from fire damage. But to protect you, they must be in proper working order. Here are a few tips from the experts to help ensure the detector in your Etowah, OK, home is in top condition.

The Reason for Smoke Detectors

It’s easy to forget why we have smoke detectors, until you have a fire. These tiny, ubiquitous devices do a big job in keeping us safe. According to safety experts:

• Three out of five home fire deaths occur in buildings where there is no working smoke detector
• Having a working fire detector cuts your risk of dying in a home fire in half

These sobering facts make it clear that you need to have a smoke alarm and make sure it works properly.

Know Your Alarm Type

How often you check your alarm depends a lot on the type you have. For an old-fashioned one powered by a 9-volt battery, be sure to replace the batteries every year. A lithium battery-powered alarm won’t need its batteries touched for a decade, while an alarm that’s hard-wired to your home’s electrical system will likely have a backup battery. As with a standard 9-volt alarm, that battery should be replaced annually.

Heed the Beep

Beeping is one of the top signs that you may need to replace the battery. Press the test button on the alarm to see if it’s still working properly and if not, replace batteries promptly.

Replace Alarms When Needed

Like most things, these devices have an expiration date. Experts recommend replacing all smoke detectors, regardless of the type, every decade for maximum effectiveness.

We’re fortunate to live in an era when the average smoke alarm is affordable. Make the most of your devices by keeping them in working order with these tips from the fire experts