Daylight Savings Time is Here: Don’t Forget About Your Smoke Detectors

Our locksmith and security expert wants to remind you that although it’s annoying when a smoke detector accidentally goes off, there’s a reason at least one should be in every single apartment and home. According to the CDC, over 2,500 people die each year as a result of home fires. Of those unfortunate deaths, more than 60% can be attributed to homes that either don’t have smoke alarms or have smoke alarms that aren’t working.

Because these detectors really do save lives, Fall is a great time to make sure that your home is properly protected by them. In an ideal world, our security expert points out that you would test all the smoke alarms in your home every single month. However, since only a tiny percentage of people are that consistent with their tests, the next best thing is to at least test them whenever the clock springs forward or falls back.

What’s the proper way to test a smoke detector? The good news is it’s literally as easy as pushing a button. If it doesn’t work, it means it’s time to replace the 9-volt battery. Additionally, if you have one or more smoke detectors that are hardwired into your home’s electrical system, think for a minute how long it’s been since you last replaced the backup battery. If you’re not exactly sure but have a feeling that it’s been over a year, the best thing to do is replace it.

Additional Tips for Using Smoke Detectors to Protect Your Home and Family

While a small apartment may only require a single smoke detector, most homes should have at least a handful to provide optimal protection. As a rule of thumb, every bedroom in your home should have its own smoke detector. Additionally, every level including your basement should have at least one detector.

Not only should most homes have multiple smoke detectors, but all of them should be connected to each other. The reason that’s important is regardless of where someone is in the house, they need to get out in the event of a fire. For example, if an electrical fire occurs on the second floor, someone sleeping in a room on the first floor needs to be immediately alerted. That’s why the smoke detector in the room where they’re sleeping should go off at the same time as the one closest to where the fire started.

The other very important thing to remember is you should never disable a smoke alarm. That includes if it goes off while you’re cooking or taking a shower. Instead, press the hush button if it has one. And even if it doesn’t have one, you should open a window and focus on getting the smoke or steam out of the area instead of trying to pull apart the alarm.

If you’re concerned that your home doesn’t have enough smoke detectors or some of the smoke detectors need to be replaced, you can contact us to schedule a consultation. Because smoke detectors play a key role in home security, a member of our locksmith team will be able to assess your home and advise you of any critical additions or replacements.

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