Smoke Detectors

Smoke Detectors

Where do I need smoke detectors or why do they beep occasionally?

  • Smoke Detectors, Carbon Monoxide Detectors, and Heat Detectors are very important in homes, for obvious reasons.
  • There have been many changes to the requirements of placement and types of detectors to put in certain locations. Basically, you need a smoke detector in every bedroom. You need a detector on every level of the house, in a common area such as a hallway, including the cellar; in most cases this means 3 detectors. You also need a carbon Monoxide detector on every level of the house and they need to be within 10 feet of a bedroom.
  • Heat detectors would be placed in a garage.
  • All detectors need to be hard wired and have a battery backup and need to be interconnected together so if one goes off, they all go off.
  • When changing out one defective detector, it is often necessary to replace ALL detectors in the same house so they can “talk” to each other. Many older models are not compatible with newer models and you can damage the detectors if improperly installed.
  • When selling a house, it is often required to update the building and add detectors if none are present.
  • If your detectors are beeping once a minute or once every 15 minutes, all brands vary; it usually indicates that the battery needs to be replaced. If the alarm goes off for no reason (false alarms) it is usually because the unit is dirty and it would be time to replace the unit. Some people say you can blow them out with air; however, our feeling is it’s not worth your family’s safety to not spend the extra money and just replace the unit. If you have a detector that keeps going off, you can pull the detector down from the ceiling, unplug the connector that plugs into the detector, take the battery out, and call an electrician to replace the unit as soon as possible.
  • Batteries should be replaced in all your detectors on an annual basis. See our Inspection/Preventive Maintenance Program.