3 Tips for Maintaining Your Smoke Detectors

10/7/2019 (Permalink)

3 Tips for Maintaining Your Smoke Detectors

Homes should have fire alarms in each room, capable of signaling residents of any potential danger. After all, flames spread quickly throughout a home, threatening the lives of those inside and causing significant damage to the property. The loud noise needs to happen to give people time to escape and seek help. If it doesn't occur, you'll need fireman and a fire restoration crew in Spring Hill, OK. These people can work with you to restore the house, cleaning up the smoke damage. They cannot, however, replace people, so take the time now to prepare yourself and maintain the unit.

1. Schedule Regular Maintenance

Many people fail to realize that they do have some control over the smoke detector. You don't need to wait for it to beep to change the battery. Instead, set aside some time to keep it working properly. Homeowners can do the following:

• Change batteries every six months
  
• Replace units every 10 years
  
• Periodically test the silent button
  
  

2. What Do You Do if It's Beeping?

At some point, one or more of the detectors will start to beep. You'll need to test the unit and determine what is wrong. First, turn off the circuit breaker to the fire alarm and disconnect the system, removing the detector from the unit and unplugging the power supply. Take the new batteries out, and insert fresh ones. Then, reattach the detector and switch the breaker back on.

3. Clean It

Occasionally that is not enough. You'll need to evaluate the unit for any dirt or debris. If something has made its way inside, the sensor could have issues and not function correctly, allowing fire damage without proper warning. Clear out anything causing issues. For that difficult dust, grab an air blower.
Protect yourself and others by keeping your fire alarms in good condition. Test them, change the batteries, and keep them clean. A functional smoke detector could save your life.