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Once again, it is time to “fall back” – to end daylight savings time and return to standard time.  Among the other changes this brings in our lives, we should remember to change our smoke alarm batteries.  Adopting the habit of changing smoke alarm batteries either at the end or the beginning of Daylight Savings Time will protect your home from fire and smoke damage and keep your family safe.

We all know the value of a reliable smoke alarm in our home. However, having a smoke alarm isn't enough. A good fire safety plan requires that the smoke alarms actually work.  A quick check of your smoke alarms every month assures that they work, and changing the batteries at least once a year will assure that their batteries are fresh and strong. 

Why Smoke Alarms Stop Working

Sometimes, smoke alarms simply outlive their usefulness, especially if they are more than 10 years old. More commonly though, smoke alarms don't work because the smoke alarm battery is dead or perhaps the smoke alarm has been disconnected or the batteries have been removed.  In fact, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) warns that almost two-thirds of home fire deaths in 2005-2009 resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

Won’t the Smoke Alarm Remind Me?

Why not just wait until the smoke alarm beeping that alerts you that your smoke alarm batteries need to be replaced?  That's a bad idea for many reasons like these…

• When the beeping alert occurs, if you don't have replacement smoke alarm batteries ready, you might be tempted to stop the beeping by removing the batteries or disconnecting your smoke alarm. Of course, this decreases your protection from a fire until you get your smoke alarm working again.
• If you are not at home during time when the beeping alert begins until your smoke alarm batteries go totally dead, you might not be aware that they are not working. This leaves your family and your home unprotected against fire.

Replacing Smoke Alarm Batteries

• Almost all smoke alarms batteries should be replaced each year, including those in hard-wired smoke alarms with battery backup. The only exceptions are hard-wired smoke alarms without a battery backup and smoke alarms that have a 10-year battery that cannot be replaced. In the latter case, you would replace the complete smoke alarm every 10 years.
• Install the correct type of replacement battery as recommended in the manual or label on your smoke alarm, and follow all directions. Avoid using rechargeable batteries in your smoke alarm. Smoke alarm manufacturers advise against them.
• If your smoke alarm is giving you frequent nuisance alarms, then it’s time to replace the entire smoke alarm unit. Don’t be tempted to just disconnect the battery to stop the nuisance alarms.
• Take the opportunity to clean your smoke alarm at the time that you change the batteries each year.
• Remember to change the batteries in your carbon monoxide alarm at the same time that you change your smoke alarm batteries.

• More About Home Smoke Alarms from the NFPA (Video)
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• Smoke Alarms: Installation and Maintenance Tips
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• Smoke Alarm Types: Ionization vs. Photoelectric