Smoke Alarms

The easiest way to protect your home and family from fire is with working smoke alarms. We advise you to fit at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home. The ideal position is on the ceiling, in the middle of a room, and on the hallway and landing so you can hear an alarm throughout your home. See the image below for an example of where to put your smoke alarms (shown in red).

You mustn't forget to test your smoke alarms. You should test them at least once a month. Don't forget and put your home and family at risk!

There are several things to do to make sure your smoke alarm works. These are:

• Test the batteries in your smoke alarm every month, change them every year and never remove them.
• Never disconnect or remove the batteries from your alarm if it goes off by mistake.
• Standard battery-operated alarms are the cheapest option, but the batteries must be replaced yearly. Many people forget to check the batteries, so longer-life batteries are better.
• An alarm with a ten-year battery is the best option. Your home power supply powers mains-powered alarms.
• Generally, they don't need to be installed by a qualified electrician.
• Alarms that plug into a light socket use a rechargeable battery, which is charged when the light is on. You can even install linked alarms so that they all go off together when one alarm detects a fire. This is useful if you live in a large house or over several levels.

We advise you not to put smoke alarms in or near kitchens or bathrooms where smoke or steam can accidentally set them off. Also, don't forget to vacuum your smoke alarm every three months to remove dust that can set them off. Having smoke alarms puts you one step ahead, but you still have to make sure you try to prevent a fire from starting in the home.

If any of your smoke alarms have a one-year battery, make sure it is changed every year to prevent it from beeping. Ten-year sealed battery smoke alarms are the best option.