You’ve been fortunate and grateful to never experience a fire in your beloved Portland home.
You practice fire safety, never leave candles or open flames unattended, and replace the batteries in your smoke detectors whenever they start chirping at you. Those guidelines are all you’ve ever learned about smoke detector maintenance, but is that enough?
Practicing preventative fire safety is a great way to decrease your risk of a fire, but it’s important to be prepared should the unthinkable happen. Smoke detectors use infrared light to detect smoke. If that light signal is interrupted, it alerts you and your family of danger.
Test Your Smoke Detector
Making sure your smoke detectors are functioning is essential for keeping you and your family safe. Standard advice for smoke detectors begins and ends with changing the batteries once a year. That is great advice, and you should follow it. But, it doesn’t paint the full picture. Fresh batteries don’t guarantee that your detector is operating as it should.
It’s always better to be proactive rather than reactive. Test your smoke detector batteries throughout the year. An easy way we like to remember is when daylight savings time changes, give your detectors a test.
Most units have a test button to allow you to check the effectiveness of your batteries. When you run this test, listen closely to the sound of the alarm. If it is weak or abnormal, you may need to replace the batteries, or it can be a sign that your unit is wearing out.
Depending on the brand and type, smoke detectors traditionally last around ten years, though some newer models last longer. If your new batteries aren’t doing the trick, your detector might be having a dusty dilemma.
Clean Your Smoke Detector
It might not occur to you that your unit needs cleaning. It’s often overlooked in many people’s cleaning routines. However, dust and debris can affect the effectiveness of your smoke detector. Vacuuming your unit should do the trick, though it’s always a good idea to double-check the manufacturer’s instructions for your specific brand and model to ensure it stays clean.
Need a Smoke Detector Upgrade?
Stay safe and comfortable in your home with the peace of mind that a reliable smoke detector gives you. The last thing you want is for you or your family to be blindsided in the event of a fire.
If you think it might be time to upgrade your home’s smoke detectors, give us a call to speak to one of our technicians. We’ll let you know how many you need for your home’s size and the best model to fit your family’s needs. We’re standing by to take your call.
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