Have You Checked Your Smoke Detector?

2/28/2017 (Permalink)

Take precautionary measures & ensure that all of your smoke detectors are working properly

We do a lot of fire damage work. Not only is it very expensive and disruptive it can be devastating to the families involved. While we are always appreciate of the opportunity to help someone in their time of need, there are things that you can do to lower the chances that you would experience a loss like this. Here are some things you should consider.

• Three out of five home fire deaths result from fires in properties without working smoke alarms
• More than one-third (38 percent) of home fire deaths result from fires in which no smoke alarms are present.
• The risk of dying in a home fire is cut in half in homes with working smoke alarms.

The National Fire Protection Association recommends that smoke detectors be tested at least once a month. It is best to have a regular schedule to test your smoke detectors and the recommendation is to pick a day, perhaps the first Saturday of each month, to ensure that it is not missed. Every smoke alarm in the house must be tested. This can be done by pressing the test button and ensuring that the alarm beeps. It is recommended that the back-up batteries be replaced at least annually. For “hard wired” smoke detectors it is advised that they be replace after ten years.

As a home owner, you need to take adequate precautions to protect your family and property. Apart from saving lives, smoke alarms can also help you save important papers, documents, mementoes and pictures.