When to Replace Your Smoke Alarms

Smoke alarms are important devices to have in the household. They can save your life. They must be placed in obvious places in the house, such as the kitchen. But you can also install them in your bedroom, living area, basement, and attic.

Because their function is vital to the safety of the house and everyone in it, you have to make sure they are in good working condition, by checking them from time to time.

Changing Smoke Alarms

Most people think they only need to change the batteries in their smoke detectors. Once they start hearing that beeping sound, they replace them with new ones and call it a day. 

But batteries aren’t the only thing you need to be changing. When smoke alarms are past ten years from their manufacturing date, they too need to be replaced. And when they do, there isn’t going to be a beeping reminder, so you’ll need to do the checking on your own.

Make a Reminder

It’s important to take note of the manufacturing date of your smoke alarm from when you first get it and put in place a reminder, whether on a real calendar or on your phone, of when they need to be replaced. Don’t just make note of it on a piece of paper you can easily lose or on a journal you hardly check. Make sure you will be alerted in some way when it’s time to replace them. Smoke alarms lose their ability and sensitivity to picking up smoke particulates over time, so you may have no idea that they’re actually already not performing when they should be. Obviously, this is very dangerous.

Check the Manufacturing Date

If you’re not sure how old your smoke alarm is, the manufacturing date is usually found in the back. You can also check the manufacturer’s instructions on when to replace them. The general rule is every ten years but we suggest replacing them every eight, just to be sure. Smoke alarms differ in durability so it’s best to be on the safe side.

After checking the date and seeing that you don’t need to change them just yet, put them back on the ceiling or wall, and immediately calculate when the replacement is and plan accordingly.