The Smoke Detector Should Be Replaced Every 10 Years
You know that you need to replace the smoke detector batteries when they run out, but you may not realize that you also need to replace the smoke detector itself every 10 years as the detectors wear out. Yes, even your fancy Nest detector falls under this rule.
This may sound like a gimmick to get you to fork out for a new alarm every ten years, but you’re better off doing it for several reasons:
- Peace of mind : You will know that your home has a working system that warns you in the event of a fire. You need to make sure that there are alarms on every level of your house, as well as within earshot of your bed (many fires start when you sleep). Ideally, they are interconnected so that when one of them is triggered, all are triggered so that you get the earliest possible warning.
- Limiting implications for your insurance : If you have homeowner or rent insurance, you probably have a section on the protections your home must have in order to qualify for the policy. This often includes having expired smoke detectors in operation. Even if your policy doesn’t have a section about it, warning your agent that you have expired alarms can sometimes lower your rate or work in your favor during post-fire insurance investigations.
- Other rules to follow : If you’re a homeowner, you should probably make sure that all of your rental properties have working out-of-date smoke detectors.
Consumer Reports points out that you can test smoke alarms with a simulated smoke test spray, but it is best to simply replace alarms that are past their expiration date. Check the date by looking at the manufacturing date on the underside of your alarm clock (the part that usually faces the ceiling). Add ten years to that date and you have an expiration date. You may want to write this date on a piece of masking tape or on the outside of your alarm clock so you can more easily see when to pick up a new one.