How To Test My Smoke Alarm?

The best steps to take to test the smoke alarm are:

1. It is important to first tell anyone who lives in the home or apartment that a smoke alarm testing procedure will be going on. This is to ensure people do not think a fire is going on and that they can protect their ears due to the high-pitched sound of the detector ring.
2. Have different people positioned at different points in the home or in their unit, apartment or residential space. This is so that when the smoke alarm rings they can determine if the alarm was easily heard.
3. Each smoke alarm has a test button that when pressed the alarm will sound. Push this button until the alarm rings then let go and record what has happened. See if each person could clearly hear the alarm ring and also determine if the sound is strong and healthy. If the detector alarm sound was low, weak or nonexistent then the batteries need replacing or the whole system needs changing.

Knowing the different smoke alarms is important to ensure the right one is installed in the building. 

Battery Powered

Battery powered smoke alarms have a battery inside them and are simply attached to the ceiling. They need to be tested monthly to ensure that the battery is still functioning correctly or if they need replacing. 

Hardwired

Hardwired smoke detectors are fixed on the ceiling and are directly connected to the home’s electrical system. Batteries are still installed in case there is a power outage so the alarms can still function while the power is out. Testing these systems monthly is also needed to ensure that the batteries and other parts of the system are working properly. 

We highly recommend reading our blog ‘a buyers guide on the different types of smoke alarms’ for further information about the various smoke detectors that can be purchased.

When it comes to when to test the smoke alarm there are certain times to ensure that it works safely and correctly:

• Once a month each smoke detector should be tested using the test button and procedure
• Every six months each smoke alarm should have a visual inspection where any dirt or dust is cleaned off it or if there are any visible defects they are addressed by a trained electrician
• Every twelve months the batteries, especially those with lead or alkaline batteries, should be replaced
• Once every ten years is when the smoke alarms should be replaced with new ones

Smoke alarms like any other electrical systems experience issues that need to be repaired. Our blog ‘common smoke alarm problems’ is here with information about what to do when these smoke alarm problems occur.