Smoke detectors are one of the easiest fire detection and prevention tools that saves the most lives if used correctly. However, even if you have multiple detectors installed throughout your property, they are useless unless they are working properly. Even if you believe your detectors are on and working, you don’t want to wait until an actual fire starts to find out. Several times a year you should test your alarms to ensure they are working as intended.
It is important that your smoke detectors are accurate in detecting smoke in your home. In order to ensure your smoke detectors are working properly, and able to protect your people and assets, you must have sensitivity testing completed on a regular basis.
Smoke detectors are designed to function effectively within a specific range of sensitivity to smoke. This range is set by the manufacturer and the devices are required by NFPA to be tested regularly to ensure they remain within it. If a smoke detector is not as sensitive as it should be, then it may not react as quickly as it should to a fire. However, if the smoke detector is too sensitive, then you could have recurring nuisance alarms.
Take a look at the following steps to learn how to correctly test your smoke alarm and fix it if it isn’t working.
Test Alarms Regularly
The first thing you should do is let everyone else in your home know that you are testing an alarm. You don’t want a member of your family to call the local fire department when there is no fire to put out. Next, you should have someone go to the opposite end of the property to see if they can hear the alarm from the furthest point away from its location. Once they are ready, push and hold the test button for a few seconds until the alarm starts going off.
Test and Replace Batteries
If the alarm doesn’t go off, the first thing you should do is replace the alarm batteries and check to see if the device is on. After doing so, test the alarm again. If it still isn’t working, you may have a faulty device that needs to be replaced.
Repeat this process with every alarm in your home. You should also get a smoke detector test aerosol can and spray near each device. This will let you know whether or not your device will properly detect smoke in the area. For more fire alarm safety tips, keep checking back with Quickshipfire blog!
Quickshipfire helps business owners with their smoke alarms and fire alarm equipments at affordable price in general. Perhaps you need replacement of fire alarm parts, or you need some good advice on systems, contact quickshipfire today for more information.
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