Smoke alarms are required by law in every home, but not all smoke alarms are created equal.
Heres how to choose the right one for you.
The risk of dying in a burning home iscut in halfwith a working smoke alarm.
This statistic should be enough to convince you to install and maintain good ones throughout your home.
This ensures maximum coverage of your home.
Hard-wired alarms require a home that has been built with this setup or retrofitted.
A hard-wired system will sound the alarm throughout the home no matter where the fire starts.
These batteries should be tested monthly and replaced yearly.
Battery-powered systems can be installed anywhere and dont rely on your homes 120V power.
These should be tested weekly by pressing the test button on the outside cover.
The cover should be removed monthly and the inside should be cleared of dust.
Its easy to do this using your vacuum cleaner with the extension wand.
These batteries should be replaced yearly.
Smoke Alarm Sensors
There are two types of smoke alarm sensors.
Photoelectric smoke detectors react more quickly to smoke.
You should also keep them away from windows and doors which may cause them to work improperly.
If you must install a smoke alarm on the wall, place it high and near the ceiling.
Here are the basics steps to install a battery-powered smoke alarm.
First, insert the 9-volt battery and test the unit.
Drill the holes and insert screw anchors.
Use a hammer to confirm the anchors are flush with the ceiling.
Attach the mounting bracket to the ceiling.
Attach the smoke alarm to the mounting bracket by giving it a quarter turn twist.
Test the unit again.
See the video above for a full step-by-step installation for a hard-wired smoke alarm.
Dont skimp on installing smoke alarms in your home.
Theyre an inexpensive but vital safety feature, that can be installed by anyone in less than 10 minutes.
Photo byKaty Warner,Faruk Ates, andJer Thorp.
