If you want to keep your house, and more importantly, you and the people living with you protected, it is crucial for you to install a smoke detector especially since this device can notify you when there is a fire in your home. Now, you might already have one, but, if you did not buy new ones for quite some time, you might be wondering – are there really any reasons why I must replace it?
To put it simply, yes, there are various reasons why you should change the smoke alarm and those reasons are exactly what we will be discussing in this article today. Let’s take a closer look at the top 10 reasons why you need to test and substitute these gadgets in your house:
1. You’ll Be Safer
You might not know this, but, a lot of house fires end tragically because the fire detectors aren’t operating properly or at all. This is why you must regularly test your alarms, and if it is older than ten years – which is the most common lifespan for these devices – you must replace them immediately.
When all of the detectors are working properly, you’ll decrease the risks of you or your family members dying in a fire, which is a pretty good reason to monitor them frequently. Additionally, carbon monoxide is extremely dangerous and deadly, which is why you must ensure that you swap the batteries.
2. It Might Be Malfunctioning
You might have noticed that the signal goes off without any reasons during the day or night, it is probably malfunctioning. And if so, you might get used to it, and because of that, you might not realize that there is a real fire when it goes off, instead, you might think that it simply malfunctioning again, which is incredibly dangerous.
But, besides dirt, dust, insects, and chemicals influencing the alarm, it might be malfunctioning because it is at the end of its life. If this is the case, you might want to opt for calling a professional that will tell you whether or not the batteries are low or if you have to purchase a new device.
3. You Cannot Test it Out
If you have a habit of inspecting the smoke indicators at least once in a month, you might have noticed that the test button is not working. Now, this can occur because of two reasons – firstly, the batteries might need to be changed, and secondly, you might need to get a new device.
Hence, if the test button is not working, you should first try changing the batteries. Once you change them, test it again. If you do not hear the alarm, you must immediately purchase new detectors for your house. Of course, if you are uncertain about how to install them, you can always choose to hire a professional service.
Additionally, if you do not want to deal with screws and wires, you can always opt for a smoke alarm such as the one from X-Sense that have an adhesive tape. What does this mean for you? Well, it means that you can stick it to the ceiling or the wall, and you’ll be good to go.
4. If You Installed it in The Wrong Location
You might have figured out that it is not good to install an alarm near doors, windows, and ducts because it can easily interfere with the alarm. If so, you must replace it immediately, especially since it might not be working anymore, which means that you, your family, house, and pets are in danger.
A smoke alarm needs to be placed away from such items and one of the best locations for installing such a device is approximately 12 inches from the ceiling to the upper part of the gadget. If you do not do this, you might get a lot of false alarms, which again is not a good thing.
5. If You Didn’t Maintain it Often
You have no idea how dust, insects, and smoke influence how the gadgets work, which is why you must replace them if you did not maintain them often. Even the smallest problem can cause it to malfunction. So, if you did not maintain it often, you might need to replace it.
6. If You Placed it Near Appliances
Similarly to placing it close to windows, doors, and ducts, placing a smoke alarm near appliances such as your stove, refrigerator, or microwave will cause your gadgets to break down. This is why you should replace the devices, especially since there is no way of determining how damaged they actually are.
How to Know if it is Outdated?
There are several ways to check whether or not the smoke indicators in your house are outdated and need changing. Firstly, you can always remove the device and look at the back. Why should you do this? Well, there is usually a date of manufacturing on the back, which means that you can easily determine whether or not you must replace it – which is especially true if the devices were there before you purchased the house.
If it is older than 10 years, you must replace them. Also, as mentioned, if it is frequently malfunctioning and sending false warnings, there is really no point in fixing it. Instead, purchase new devices that will assist you with keeping your children, spouse, house, pets, vehicles, and assets safe.
Conclusion
Establishing several smoke alarms in your house is highly supported by a wide range of experts. Not only will they keep everyone living with your safe at all times, but, it will also allow you to react fast, which means that you can prevent the flames from spreading to other areas in your house, which means that you can prevent losing everything.
Now that you’re aware of all the reasons why the smoke alarms might have to be replaced, you should not lose any more time. Instead, keep all of the aforementioned tips in mind, and then start testing the alarms in your house. If you notice that some of them are not working, replace them immediately.
