Why You Should Take Care of Your Smoke Detector

Did you know there was one home structure fire reported every 86 seconds in 2015?¹ That is one fire about every minute.

October is fire prevention month, and this is a good time to take a few minutes to think seriously about your own home fire safety.

Your smoke alarm really is your first line of defense against home fires. But if you are not taking care of your smoke alarm, it cannot protect you.

Here are some reasons for giving your smoke alarm the TLC it needs to protect you and your family.

1. Smoke alarms get old! The official theme for the NFPA’s fire prevention week this year is: “Don’t Wait: Check the Date! Replace Smoke Alarms Every 10 Years”² This is to remind people that smoke detectors do not last forever. They need to be replaced every 10 years. If the smoke detectors in your home are older than 10 years, it is time to replace them.

2. Even new alarms need to be checked. Even if you have a new smoke alarm installed, you still need to check it monthly to make sure it is functioning. Pressing the test button will let you know if it is working correctly and can alert you in the event of a fire.

3. Smoke is as dangerous as fire. Your house can fill up with smoke from a low flaming, smoldering fire. When this happens, your home can become very dark and it will be difficult to breathe. In this case, it is the smoke, not the actual flames that presents a danger. A smoke alarm can alert you to the danger in time to get out safely. But only if it works.

4. Help from first responders. If your smoke alarm is working properly and is also part of a monitored system, you will have help if a fire does occur in your home. When your monitoring service gets the alert that your system has been triggered, they will take steps to alert first responders. But again - this only happens if your smoke alarm is working properly.

Final tips: Keep fresh batteries in your alarm, vacuum it monthly and never paint it.

At Best Security Products, we specialize in fire systems for business and home.

Give us a call at 1-800–988–2378 sales@bestsecurityproducts.com

^{1 http://www.nfpa.org/news-and-research/fire-statistics-and-reports/fire-statistics/fires-in-the-us
2 http://www.nfpa.org/news-and-research/news-and-media/press-room/news-releases/2016/nfpa-announces-2016-fpw-theme}