Should I Change My Fire Alarm Batteries? 3 Tips for Knowing

11/27/2019 (Permalink)

Change your smoke alarm batteries to prevent a fire.

Every year, fire officials insist, you need to change the batteries in your smoke alarm, even if you aren’t sure they’re dead. It’s overkill right? If you think that, you just might be putting your Brunswick, ME, home at risk. When should you change your smoke detector’s batteries? Keep reading to find out.

Alarm Facts

Fire experts credit home alarms with drastically reducing incidences of house fires. Yet every alarm installed isn’t functional. The result is:

Most of home fire deaths happen in homes with no alarms or alarms that don’t work
Of fires in homes with alarms that failed, about half were due to missing batteries

Keep reading to learn how you can reduce the odds of your home becoming a statistic.

Listen for the Beep

Beeping alarms have become so common that most people just ignore them. But you do that at your own risk. The fact is, a beeping sound is the number one sign that your smoke alarm isn’t working properly. Instead of ignoring the beep, take it as a sign to change your battery.

Battery Type

Battery type is a top indicator of how often you’ll need to freshen up your alarm. Older alarms tend to work on 9-volt batteries; those will need to be changed annually. If you’re lucky enough to have a newer lithium-powered battery, experts say you should be ok for a decade.

Device Age

Smoke detectors are resilient, but they won’t last forever. Just like any device, they get worn out and need to be replaced. Minimize risk by reading the manual that comes with your alarm and changing the battery or replacing the device when it’s suggested.

Sadly, a large amount of home fire damage is the result of either absent or non-working smoke alarms. Don’t be a victim. Use these and other tips from local fire cleanup experts to keep your home secure.