Do You Know the Smoke Alarm Basics?

1/22/2021 (Permalink)

Regularly checking your smoke alarms is an important fire safety routine. Should you experience a loss, Washington County specializes in complete fire

One of the biggest basics of fire safety is the importance of smoke alarms. Checking them regularly and having them in your home are vital to safety. But many people don’t understand exactly how and why these smoke detectors will make a difference.

Experts estimate that as many as ? of all deaths from house fires occur in homes where there aren’t smoke detectors or where there aren’t enough smoke detectors.

That adds up to about 1,450 deaths per year that might be preventable with proper smoke alarms.

Do You Have Enough Alarms?

So, how can you tell if you have enough smoke alarms in your home? Here’s where experts recommend placing smoke alarms:

• Outside every bedroom
• Outside each sleeping area
• On every level of the house
• Living rooms, dens and family rooms
• Near stairwells
• Ten feet from appliances

Avoid installing them near windows, doors or ducts.

Maintaining Your Smoke Alarms

The National Fire Protection Association offers this advice for maintaining your smoke alarms:

Don’t neglect to test your smoke alarms. You should check your smoke alarms every month to make sure they’re working properly.

Change your batteries. Once or twice a year is enough. Do it when you change your clocks to make it easier to remember.

Consider a system of interconnected smoke alarms. These can make your family safer because they alert the whole home to danger and are easier for everyone in your household to hear.

Replace your alarms on schedule. Most of the time, smoke alarms need to be replaced about every 10 years. That allows you to be sure they’re in good working order and will be ready if you ever need them.

If your home is damaged due to a fire or any other cause, you can always count on us for restoration assistance. We have crews who are available ²⁴⁄₇ in the event of an emergency. Contact us at any time to learn more about our restoration services and how we can help.