How to Know it’s Time to Replace Your Smoke Detectors
Every home should rely on smoke detectors to prevent damage and protect our dwellings and loved ones. Smoke detectors can alert us to a fire and danger while we sleep and before we know there is a threat to begin with. For this very reason, you should always know when to replace your smoke detectors when they start malfunctioning.
One of the easiest ways to keep your smoke detector working is to make sure that it has fresh batteries. However, sometimes even with new and up-to-date batteries, smoke detectors can become faulty. Here are two reasons to replace your smoke detector.
1. Your Smoke Detector is Old
Often, smoke detectors age out and become faulty. The National Fire Protection Association recommends that smoke detectors be replaces every ten years. Considering there is so much at stake, it is paramount that you keep your smoke detectors up to date.
The intricate parts of smoke detectors are subject to intense testing. However, as these smoke detectors age, so do the parts inside making these alarms more likely to fail. To prevent this from happening, replace detectors every ten years.
If you have recently moved into a new home, make sure to find out when smoke detectors were installed. If you cannot find any information regarding the installation of your smoke detectors, it is best to just install new devices.
2. Your Smoke Detector is Making Too Much Noise
Although the job of a smoke detector is to make noise to alert homeowners to an issue, sometimes when a detector makes too much noise, this can be cause for concern. However, often just making a couple changes can fix the problem of a noisy detector.
Clean them
Keeping detectors dust and dirt free is important to making sure a smoke detector is working properly. The easiest way to keep them clean is to vacuum using an attachment and/or wiping them down with a soft cloth.
Keep detectors away from the stove/oven
Smoke detectors, especially super sensitive detectors, can be triggered by smoke from the oven or even steam from a pot of boiling water. If this is the case, it is best to move the detector at least 20 feet away from the stove. This way, you are still protected and can cook without worrying about the detector going off.
Check the connections
Make sure all hardwired connections are properly secured. Loose connections can often be a reason for a false alarm. Another connection issue can be power outages. Make sure that the power is properly connected to the monitor. If these issues do not solve the problem, then you may be in the market for new smoke detectors.
Act Today
Every homeowner knows that smoke detectors are an important part of protecting your home and family. Keeping smoke detectors in top shape are an easy way to provide protection and when it’s time to replace or upgrade your home’s smoke detection system, contact the experts at Vigilante Security. We know how to keep you and your family safe from fire, carbon monoxide and other household environmental hazards.