04/15/2026
Hey folks, check your fire, smoke, carbon monoxide detectors. A lot of them should be replaced every 8 to 10 years, so when you're doing your battery swaps that should be on your calendar, check the manufacturing date. I found this one, actually two of these in a home that was sold about five years ago. Now they still have some life but obviously they were not brand new at the time. Also these are meant hardwired with a battery backup. Not only is there no wiring behind them, there's a little cardboard piece in the battery compartment telling me it's never had a battery as well. 
Imagine some family lived here for five years thinking they were safe. Someone may not have ever been educated to replace batteries on regular intervals which is why fire safety awareness is more important than you think. 
Last, and not least, shame on the horrible horrible person, whoever it was,  that put these up for show. I have to assume that they were post inspection cause I find hard to believe that an inspector with a pulse would miss this.