What Everyone Should Know About Smoke Detectors

I always thought that if the battery was replaced the smoke detector would work. That is not

the case. The battery tester only shows that the battery works, the sensor inside could become useless after 10 years...and you are no longer protected.



Virtually every United States household has one or more smoke detectors, according to the National Fire Protection Association, but they only operated in 47 percent of fires in the period between 2003 and 2006. Nearly a quarter of home fire fatalities happened in dwellings with non-working detectors. Reasons for smoke detector failures vary, but older models are less reliable than their new counterparts and all detectors require eventual replacement.

 

    * Newer smoke detectors have approximately an 8- to 10-year lifespan of reliable service, according to U. S. Fire Administration. Change them when they they reach that age, even if they still seem to be functioning properly. Replace all the detectors when you move into a new home if you are unsure of their age. The City of Dayton, Ohio, warns that older models have a 30 percent failure rate within their first decade, so do not take a chance with units of an unknown age. Use a marker to write the purchase date inside your new detectors so you will remember when to replace them.



    * Ten-year-old smoke detectors should be replaced because they no longer function as efficiently, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Their detection sensitivity can drop, even if they are still functioning, and they are more likely to go off with false alarms from outside factors such as humidity or dust in the unit.



  * Smoke detector batteries need regular replacement, regardless of the unit's age. Change the batteries annually on an easy-to-remember date. Install new batteries even if the present ones still seem to be good because they could fail unexpectedly. The U. S. Fire Administration recommends vacuuming your detectors occasionally to remove dust, cobwebs and small bugs.



    * You have two options when replacing old smoke detectors, photoelectric or ionization units, each of which senses the presence of smoke in a different way. Smoke interrupts the electric current in ionization smoke detectors and interrupts a light beam in photoelectric models. The U. S. Fire Protection Association explains that ionization units are best at alerting you to large, fast-moving blazes, while photoelectric detectors work best for slow, smoldering fires. Some manufacturers sell detectors that use both technologies.