Maintaining Your Smoke Alarm

3/1/2021 (Permalink)

The smoke alarm is one of the most basic fire safety devices we have today. It has been installed in virtually every building in the United States and requires very little to do its job. Yet despite their relative ease, there are still things that must be done in order to keep these devices working at their peak efficiency. The U.S. Fire Administration has several simple tips they recommend for keeping your smoke alarm working well;

• Test your smoke alarm monthly
• If using a nine-volt battery, replace the battery once a year
• If using a 10-year lithium battery, do not attempt to remove the battery on your own
• If your system is wired into the electrical system of the building, replace the battery back up once a year
• Once every ten years, replace your entire smoke alarm unit

It may seem tedious or unimportant to follow these steps, but it is important to keep up the maintenance on your smoke alarms. After all if you have no early warning system when a fire breaks out, the resulting damage from an unexpected fire can rise very quickly from what might’ve been a manageable fire originally. So follow these simple steps to keep your homes and businesses safe.

Source: https://www.usfa.fema.gov

As always, if disaster strikes, SERVPRO of Springfield and SERVPRO of Morgan, Cass, Macoupin & Montgomery Counties are always here for you. We can be reached 24/7 at 217-528-7775.