Do you know where the smoke alarms are in your home? Do you know if they are currently working? While many households have at least one smoke alarm, most of them are not in working order. Smoke detector maintenance is not only important, it can help save lives.

Proper Smoke Detector Maintenance

Just like every other device in your home, smoke detectors require a certain level of maintenance. Dust and other contaminants can interfere with the proper functions of an alarm. Dusting and vacuuming in and around the detector can help ensure the sensors are working properly.

Smoke Detector Tips

Keeping your smoke alarm clean is one way to ensure it will work in an emergency. Keep these tips in mind to make sure you’ll be alarmed when needed:

• Keep detectors at least 10 feet from cooking appliances. If it’s always going off for cook-related issues, try repositioning the alarm instead of removing batteries if it becomes a nuisance.
• Steam from a bathroom can also trigger the alarm, so make sure it’s far enough away and you’ll lessen the amount of false alarms.
• Test the alarm at least once a month. It takes a few seconds, and can mean a whole lot more in an emergency. You can either push the test button to make sure it’s working or test with real smoke from a blown-out candle or lighter.
• Clean the interior and exterior of the smoke alarm device and replace the batteries twice a year. Typically, it’s easy to remember to do this at the same time you change the clocks during Daylight Savings.
• Replace smoke alarms every 10 years. An older alarm is less likely to work properly.

Help protect your home and family with these simple smoke detector maintenance techniques. Don’t wait till it’s too late to do the little things that can mean so much.

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