A smoke alarm is often your first line of defense against a house fire. By providing an early warning about a fire, a smoke detector can help you get your family to safety and respond quickly to minimize the potential damage to your property. To make the most of your smoke alarms, however, there are a few things every homeowner should do.
MONTHLY TESTS
Smoke alarms should be tested monthly. To make sure each alarm is still working, simply push the test button for a few seconds, after which the alarm should go off. If the alarm doesn’t work or is too quiet, it’s time to replace the batteries.
YEARLY BATTERY REPLACEMENT
It’s generally recommended to replace smoke alarm batteries once a year. Typically, however, a smoke alarm will start to chirp when the batteries are dying. Replacing all the batteries in your smoke alarms in one go will ensure you don’t have to do this multiple times a year when batteries die.
Making this fire prevention tool a priority in your home will play a vital role in reducing household fires and injuries. A little upkeep will go a long way in protecting your family.