Smoke alarms are a crucial part of fire safety, along with fire extinguishers and emergency ladders. Taking the proper precautions when installing and maintaining your smoke alarms can give you and your family critical piece of mind. Here is a helpful guide to ensure you optimize your home’s fire safety.

How Do Smoke Alarms Work?

The two most common types of smoke alarms are photoelectric detectors and ionization detectors. Photoelectric detectors work by shooting a small beam of light across the device. If smoke particles enter the alarm, the smoke scatters the light beam, refracting it into a sensor. These are good alarms for very smoky fires. Ionization detectors use a harmless amount of radioactive material called americium to ionize the air in the device. Two sensor plates then read the negative charge of the air. But, when smoke enters the device, the smoke particles bond to the oxygen and disrupt the electrical charge, triggering the alarm.

How Many Should I Have in My House?

You should have a smoke alarm in every bedroom in your house, outside the main sleeping areas, and at least one on every level of the home. For instance, one in the basement, one in the attic, and one in each hallway of a two-story house. Most fires take place while people are sleeping, so the proximity to bedrooms is important. To avoid false alarms, install alarms at least 20 feet away from appliances that might produce smoke, like stoves or fireplaces. And place them at least ten feet away from bathrooms and laundry rooms where high humidity might trigger the alarm as well.

When Should I Replace the Batteries?

A good rule of thumb is to test your smoke alarms once a month and replace the batteries twice a year. A popular way to remember is to make a habit of changing your batteries during Daylight Savings Time. Of course, if you forget your alarm will start to loudly chirp when the batteries are dying. You can easily test your smoke alarm by pressing the “test” button on the device. Hold the button down for several seconds, and you should start to hear the alarm. If you hold the button more than ten seconds without a response, something is wrong with the alarm.

A1 Fire Protection in Olive Branch, MS, has been helping protect the tri-state area from fires since 1986. Their experienced technicians can help you set up a fire safety or fire suppression system for your home or business, including the installation of industrial fire equipment, ladders, fire extinguishers, and more. They can even perform industrial steam cleaning on filters, ducts, fans, and other equipment. For more information, call (662) 895-2177 or visit them online.