3 Tips for How to Test the Fire Alarms in Your Home

In 2021, there were over 1.3 million residential fires across America, which resulted in nearly 4,000 deaths and over 14,000 injuries.

If you're going to prevent fires, property damage, and physical harm, your fire alarm has to be in good working order. Most people install fire alarm systems, check the batteries every once in a while, then forget that they're even there.

It's important to test your fire alarm on a regular basis. You never know what could go wrong with a fire alarm, so in this post, we're going to give you 3 tips for how to test yours. Keep reading and you'll keep your home, and more importantly, the people inside of it, safe.

1. Warn Whoever Is Home

Before you test your fire alarm safety, you should always give everyone in the home a forewarning. If it works as well as it should, your fire alarm will produce a loud, high-pitched noise that could be startling to unsuspecting residents, especially young children.

It's also good to involve all of the home's residents in the testing process. One reason for this is so that they don't react to the alarm as though there's a legitimate fire. The other is so that they know what the alarm sounds like and what they should do when it goes off.

2. Test All Over the Home

Involving your family members in the process, make sure to isolate people in different areas of the home before testing. It's crucial to determine if there are any spots in the home where the alarm can't be heard so you can rectify the situation.

A fire alarm should be loud enough to wake people in every corner of every room of the house. If there are any "dead zones", you'll have to contact fire alarm installation services to install more alarms wherever needed.

3. Testing the Fire Alarm System

The first thing you should do to test the smoke detector is to look at it. There should be an illuminated light indicating that the unit is receiving power, but you'll also want to hold the test button down for a few seconds until the alarm starts beeping. If the alarm fails to trigger, you're going to need to call in a technician to fix it.

You'll also need to make sure that the sensors themselves are fully functional. To do this, purchase a specific type of aerosol spray and unleash it underneath the smoke detector. If the alarm sounds, your sensors are working and if it doesn't, they're not.

Have Regular Fire Alarm Inspections Done

Now that you know how to properly test your fire alarm system, you can ensure the safety of your household. Being able to do this yourself is important, but it's also important to get a trained eye on your fire alarms as well. 

At Secure It Securities Corp, our residential and commercial fire alarm services are designed to put your mind at ease. Contact us today to learn about our fire alarm installation and get a quote for annual or semi-annual maintenance.