What To Know About Your Smoke Alarm

2/24/2020 (Permalink)

Regularly maintain your smoke alarm

Three Things To Know About Installing Fire Alarms In Your Home

For a home in Hamilton, OH, having a smoke alarm installed is highly recommended by many fire damage restoration professionals to help protect your home. However, these units will need to be properly placed and maintained. Here are three things you should know about installing fire alarms in your home.

1. Alarm Maintenance

It’s important to properly maintain any alarms you may have in your home. Keep them clean and free of dust or cobwebs, and change the batteries at least once a year. It’s also important to test the unit according to the manufacturer's instructions. In many cases, this involves pressing the test button and listening for the appropriate alarm sound.

2. Alarm Lifespan

Another thing that should be noted about a smoke alarm is its operational lifespan. For most alarms, this lifespan is somewhere between eight and ten years. Units older than their recommended usage life should be replaced. If you need to know how long your alarm unit should remain functioning it’s best to consult the manufacturer's instructions.

3. Alarm Placement

When considering the placement of a smoke detector in your home many experts recommend having at least one on each floor. It’s also important to include an alarm in each bedroom as this can help protect your family should a fire occur while someone is asleep. Additionally, an alarm outside the bedrooms in a space such as a halfway can provide an additional measure of protection.
When installing a smoke alarm in your home it’s important to remember that the unit will need to be regularly maintained. It’s also a good idea to test the unit. Replace units over ten years old, and check the batteries in existing units at least once a year. You will also want to ensure that there is a minimum of one alarm per floor as well as one in each bedroom.