06/27/2016
You know the sound: the annoying beeping that always seems to happen in the middle of the night that forces you to get a ladder, climb up and change the battery to stop the beeping – and probably the dog from barking. Yes, we’re talking about smoke alarms.
Did you know that 24% of smoke alarm failures are due to dead batteries?1 Proper smoke alarm maintenance is a simple way to protect your family.
Smoke alarms are either stand-alone, battery-operated units, or individual units that are "hardwired" and linked together into the home’s electrical system (these also have backup batteries inside in case the power goes out). To avoid everyone’s favorite game of "Guess Which Alarm’s Dead Battery Is Beeping," it’s best to change all of your smoke alarms’ batteries – typically a disposable nine volt – once a year, at the same time.
Purely battery-powered detectors have an expiration date clearly marked inside – make sure that yours are up to date and change them if they aren’t. Remember to check the expiration date on your batteries before you install them, too – and always test your alarms, regardless of type, once a month.
It’s also important to ensure that you not only have enough alarms, but have them properly located throughout your home. At a minimum, you should have an alarm for each level of your home – and it is recommended to have one outside of each bedroom.
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire – and where there are smoke alarms, there’s security and peace of mind for you and your family.