Fall is starting to step into its role and bring the temperatures down a bit, even if the difference is only noticeable at night. With that said, now is a great time to start preparing for the cooler weather to come. One thing that you can do to get ready is to ensure your safety by brushing up on your knowledge of the smoke detectors in your home.

For example, do you know how old your detectors are or when you last checked the batteries in them? Are they hardwired? Are they working? These are important questions to ask even before you schedule your heating maintenance in Jackson, MS. Why? Because a smoke detector keeps you safe all year long but especially during the heating season.

3 Questions Answered About Your Smoke Detector

What do you know about the smoke detectors in your home? Knowing where they are placed is a good start, but you need to take some time to find out a bit more about these safety systems. As we get ready to enter the heating season, you will want to make sure that your home’s smoke detectors are in good working order to keep you and your loved ones safe should any problems pop up with your heat pump or furnace.

With this in mind, here are three important questions you want to be able to answer about your smoke detectors to ensure your safety.

1. When do you need to replace the batteries in your smoke detector?

If your smoke detector doesn’t have working batteries, it is the same as having no smoke detector at all! You should stay on top of the condition of the batteries in your smoke detector by testing each detector at least once a month. If your detector isn’t responding well, make sure to change the batteries. This is true even if you have a hardwired smoke detector because even these have back-up batteries.

2. At what point does a smoke detector need to be replaced?

Did you know that your smoke detector eventually wears out? It’s true! When your smoke detector reaches the age of about ten years, you will need to make sure that it is replaced sooner than later. You can find the age of your detectors by checking the date of manufacture that is on the back of it.

3. Can you just unplug a pesky smoke detector?

We’ve all been there: our smoke detector starts emitting that consistent repeated beeping that is a warning something is up with it. During these times, it can be tempting to try simply unplugging the detector and removing it from the wall. DON’T do that. We know it can be a pain, but you should never disable a fire alarm unless you are in the act of replacing it. If you need help with replacing your smoke detector or figuring out whether it needs a replacement, you can check with our technicians.

Contact Environment Masters, Inc. to schedule your heating maintenance and other services that will help keep you warm and safe this winter. Trusted. Since 1957.