The Importance Of Testing And Replacing The Batteries In Your Smoke Detector

By Author: Ron Grosso
Total Articles: 3764
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An important safety device that every home needs is the smoke detector. However, in order to keep them working at peak performance you need to perform periodic maintenance. While inexpensive, a smoke detector is a complex piece of specialized equipment. Consider how you can keep your smoke detector operating at peak performance.

What Are Smoke Detectors?

A smoke detector is a little device that is installed in homes and businesses. It is designed to sound a warning alarm when it senses smoke or fire. Smoke detectors come in two types: photoelectric and ionization.

Photoelectric units emit a beam of light and an audible alarm will sound when the light is broken by smoke. Ionization units use an electrical charge to measure the nearby air and when the oxygen in the air decreases due to fire the alarm goes off.

Photoelectric detectors are better for smoldering fires like electrical fires. These detectors are best for bedrooms and kitchens. An ionization detector is better for areas where a fire can get out of hand such as a furnace room.

Both types of smoke detectors can either be powered by ...
... internal batteries or the household electrical current with an internal battery as backup. Consider how you can properly maintain and test any kind of smoke detector.

Tips to Maintaining Smoke Detectors

The death rate of homes with a smoke detector is half that of those that don't have smoke detectors installed. These facts show how important it is to have a working smoke alarm in your home. However, most people fail to maintain or test their smoke alarms which is just the same as not even having one in your home. Consider the following tips to test, maintain, replace and install smoke detectors in your home.

Your smoke detectors should be placed at least one foot away from any corner area. They should be located in a place that has a constant temperature such as the ceiling or a high wall. You should never place a smoke detector in places like the kitchen, furnace room or other work area since false alarms can easily be triggered and debris can clog the alarm.

Smoke detectors shouldn't be placed in breezy area such as near doors or windows since drafts can affect the readings of the detectors. In fact, smoke detectors should be kept at least four feet from any of these areas. You also don't want them located in any hard to reach place like tall walls or over the staircase. This would make it too difficult to replace batteries.

At least once a year you should clean smoke detectors with a vacuum. To do this you should open the cover and vacuum all of the dust and debris which can affect the detection of smoke or fire. Once your smoke detector is over ten years old you should replace it with a new one right away. Every six months you should replace the batteries to keep the unit working at peak efficiency. As a reference you can write the date on a piece of tape and place it on the side of the detector.

Test your smoke detectors at least once a week with the test button.