How To Test Your Smoke Alarms?

There are many different types of smoke alarms but their main purpose is to detect smoke and alert people of potential hazards. When an alarm detects smoke they will sound the alarm and are important for fire safety. Most systems are often interconnected smoke alarms, meaning when one goes off the other alarms will as well.

The best ways to test smoke alarms are:

1. Alert those who live or work in the home or building that there will be a test of the smoke alarms. As the alarms are high-pitched they can startle or hurt people’s ears. Allowing people to be prepared for noise or not to be alarmed of a fire in the area is important. 
2. Locate people in different rooms with smoke alarms and in areas which are the furthest parts of the building. This will help test to see if the alarm can be heard in all different sections of the building. 
3. Test the smoke alarm by pressuring the test button located directly on the detector. After a few seconds, a loud alarm should occur in the specific smoke alarm. If they are interconnected then the other alarms should also ring. Each individual smoke alarm should be tested to make sure everyone is working. 

If the smoke alarm does not ring or the sound is weak or inconsistent then new batteries or a new alarm is needed.

It is highly recommended that smoke alarms should be inspected and have maintenance work done on them every 6 months. Testing should occur every month and replacing the batteries is recommended to occur once or twice a year. This is to make sure that people are living and working in a space which can alarm them if there is a fire present. Smoke alarms are necessary and required to be installed on each level and at least one of them. 

To perform maintenance work on a regular basis along with testing them a person should:

• Remove dust, cobwebs, insects and other substances from the smoke alarm by lightly vacuuming them.
• Wipe down the alarm cover with clean wipes which are damp but not wet.
• Dry the smoke alarm cover after cleaning it with a dry cloth that is lint-free.

Most smoke alarms will last for up to 10 years before needing to be replaced with newer ones. Regular maintenance and tests will help keep the current smoke alarms last this long without needing to be replaced early. If a smoke alarm often causes false alarms or beeps frequently then it could be broken and will need to be replaced.

Along with testing and maintenance work, there are a few tasks and considerations which can help prevent the smoke alarm failing. To make sure that the smoke alarm is working and not broken a person should:

• Not tamper or play with the smoke alarm as well as remove the cover in case of an electrical shock.
• Not spray aerosols or have solvents working close to the smoke alarms. 
• Make sure to not remove or replace the batteries, and if needed, do it when the power is switched off. 
• Keep paint, water and dust away from the smoke alarm which can defect or contaminate the alarm.

Smoke alarms, both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms will need to be installed in specific places:

• Homeowners need to make sure that at least one smoke alarm is installed in each level. From rental properties to caravans, a smoke alarm in each level is required to be considered safe. 
• Tenants will need to be responsible for replacing the battery and looking after the smoke alarm. If the smoke alarm is hard-wired or if the tenant cannot physically change them then the landlord is responsible for replacing them. 
• Landlords will need to replace the battery in a property if the tenant is physically unable or during the time when there is no one living there. 

To know how to install a smoke alarm we offer useful and simple steps in our blog article.