Let's Talk Smoke Alarms

3/1/2021 (Permalink)

The fire detection and prevention tools that work best are the ones that save the most lives.  This is why smoke detectors are so important.  However, even if you have multiple detectors installed throughout your property, they are useless unless they are working properly.  Even if you believe your detectors are on and working, never take it for granted, you don’t want to wait until an actual fire starts to find out for sure.  Several times a year you should test your alarms to ensure they are working as intended . Review the following steps to learn how to correctly test your alarm and fix it if it isn’t working.

TEST ALARMS REGULARLY

The first thing you should do is let everyone else in your home know that you are testing an alarm.  You don’t want a member of your family to call the local fire department when there is no fire to put out.  Next, you should have someone go to the opposite end of the property to see if they can hear the alarm from the furthest point away from its location.  Once they are in position, push and hold the test button for a few seconds until the alarm starts going off.

TEST AND REPLACE BATTERIES

If the alarm doesn’t go off, the first thing you should do is replace the batteries and check to see if the device is on.  After doing so, test the alarm again.  If it still isn’t working, you may have a faulty device that needs to be replaced.  Repeat this process with all the alarms in your home.  You should also get a smoke detector aerosol spray can and spray near each detector.  This will let you know if your device is working correctly.  Unfortunately, fires can still happen.  In the event you should suffer a fire call one of our friendly staff at SERVPRO of Vermilion County today at 217-443-0077.  We are here to help!