How to Maintain Your Smoke Alarm

8/11/2020 (Permalink)

A smoke detector can save lives and mitigate damage, but you have to properly maintain it!

Although not every home has a smoke detector, most do. A properly functioning smoke alarm can detect a fire before you do, giving you a faster response time, which can possibly lead to saved lives and limit overall damages. But just having a smoke detector isn’t enough — you need to make sure each unit in your home is maintained and functioning. Fortunately, maintenance isn’t difficult once you know what to do!

Testing Your Smoke Detectors

To ensure your systems are working and operational, you need to test them at least once a month. Testing is actually a straightforward process. On most devices, there is a small test button, often found on the face of the device. If you press the button once, it will beep once; if you hold it down, it will beep intermittently for a few seconds. If you hold the button down, all alarms in the home should sound; if they, don’t the system may not be set up properly or a unit(s) may need a new battery.

Replacing Your Smoke Alarms

Unfortunately, smoke alarms don’t last forever, and they do need to be replaced over time. The batteries will be the first to go, as they should be replaced once a year. (Pro Tip: An easy way to remember to replace your batteries is to coincide it with an important day or holiday, such as every New Year’s Day.)

The units themselves last for a longer period of time (about 10 years), but they do need to be replaced. If you’re not sure when yours were installed, the manufacturing date is usually printed on the back of the device.

Cleaning Up After a Fire

Smoke alarms don’t prevent fires, but they can help you respond quickly so you can mitigate the damage. If you do have a fire, you’ll want to call SERVPRO of Alexander, Caldwell, Burke and Catawba Counties to clean up and restore your property. Our team is available 24/7, so call us anytime at (828) 396-1070!