Blog

What is the Lifespan of Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors?

September 17, 2020|fsstechnologies

As with pretty much everything, your smoke alarm eventually expires. Sensors can become less sensitive over time, making them less adept at doing their job: detecting smoke, carbon monoxide, or potential fires.

Replacing the equipment in your fire safety system is important both at home and in your business. We have developed a quick guide for home and business owners on when you should replace your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

In Your Home

The date found on the back of the equipment of your fire system is the manufacture date. The life of your smoke or carbon monoxide detectors begins once they are installed in your home, but if you do not know exactly when the equipment was installed use the date as a point of reference.

If you have lived in the same house for a few years and have never replaced your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, it is probably overdue for some new equipment. Check the manufacture dates on your alarms as listed by the manufacturers by removing the detectors from where they are hung and look on the back. The date listed is the manufacture date.

You can double-check with the company that made your specific alarm or detector, but a general rule of thumb is that you should replace smoke detectors every 7-10 years and carbon monoxide/smoke detector combos every 5-7 years. Manufacturers and equipment manuals will list the exact warranty and other important details about the lifespan of the safety equipment.

Smoke alarms and systems require yearly inspections and maintenance. When you replace the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, you can review the manufacturers date and test the device itself to ensure it is functioning properly.

A beeping smoke alarm is a highly annoying yet effective signal that something is amiss with your equipment. If your smoke alarm is beeping and you can’t figure out why, it may be that it has met its life expectancy. By reviewing the manufacturer’s date, you can be certain whether your alarm needs more than a simple battery replacement.

In Your Business

Regular Inspections will help to maintain your fire alarm system to clean any dust or debris, do a visual check, and perform necessary testing. The FSS Technologies team conducts fire alarm testing to make sure that equipment is functioning and meets local authority having jurisdiction standards.

Fire alarm systems in a business are more complex than those in a home, and the additional equipment will likely require replacing on a regular basis. Your business probably has multiple fire extinguishers that are accessible to your employees. Your fire extinguisher might also need to be replaced if it’s damaged, has missing components, or has a low PSI gauge reading.

Looking for Help?

Fortunately, you don’t need to keep track of everything on your own. The expert team at FSS Technologies is available to answer any questions you may have about your fire safety system and can help assess your home or business for a system installation.

Contact a Fire Safety Expert Today

Explore Our Other Blogs

cctv-vs-ip-Hero-min

What is the Difference Between Analog and IP Cameras in a CCTV System?

When you are considering different security systems and potentially implementing surveillance cameras into your home or business, a big question is whether you want IP or analog cameras. Global Market Insights estimates that the IP camera market will be worth more than 20 billion by 2025. With today’s technology both IP and analog systems can be viewed…

Continue reading
Hero-manufacturi

Fire Systems for the Manufacturing Industry

Few industries face as many fire safety concerns as manufacturing does, and the consequences of poor fire safety can be catastrophic. From 2017 to 2021, roughly 36,784 fires occurred yearly at industrial or manufacturing properties, causing $1.5 billion in direct property damage. With materials prone to combust or explode, industrial businesses must take extra care…

Continue reading
2020-02_FSSTechnologies_blogs_wireless-doorbells_hero

How Do Wireless Doorbells Work?

A doorbell is a pretty self-explanatory tool—you press the button outside, and a chime goes off inside, alerting the homeowner that someone is at the front door. Like everything else, though, today’s technology has brought even the humble doorbell into the limelight as an indispensable tool for convenience and security. Pros and Cons of Wireless…

Continue reading
Hero-typesfireal

Most Common Causes of House Fires

A house fire can be a life-altering event that some may never fully recover from. The best way to protect your home and family from a fire is to educate yourself about the risks and how to prevent them. We all know the essential forms of prevention and protection, like smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, sprinklers,…

Continue reading
Hero-Detroit-min

The Safest Neighborhoods in Detroit

Low-Crime Neighborhoods of Detroit SafeWise released its rankings of Michigan’s 20 Safest Cities of 2021. On the 2021 list, 9 of the 20 cities are considered suburbs of Detroit. They include: Gross Ile Township #3 Oakland Township #4 Huntington Woods #9 South Lyon #13 Addison Township #16 Highland Township #17 Rochester #18 Berkley #19 Brandon Township…

Continue reading
2019-06_FSSTechnologies_blog_video-doorbell-privacy_hero-min

Video Doorbell Privacy Issues

Video Doorbells In the News Video doorbells are one of the hottest home security tools on the market today. We agree. Once you have a video doorbell, you’ll probably wonder how you ever lived without it. Check out our blog on How a Video Doorbell Works to learn more. However, like any technology on the…

Continue reading
Hero-PreventShoplifting-min

3 Ways to Prevent Shoplifting

Preventing shoplifting is a big deal if you’re a retailer. According to the 2018 National Retail Security Survey, shoplifting continues to be the leading cause of inventory loss for retailers. Loss of stock is a big deal in this country to the tune of nearly $47 billion. The survey also identifies the top ways retailers try…

Continue reading
emergency-action-plan-hero

What is an Emergency Action Plan?

The purpose of an Emergency Action Plan is to inform employees of what actions they should take if an emergency occurs at work. It’s required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and it can be critical in preventing the loss of property, or lives, in a crisis. If an emergency alarm went off…

Continue reading
HomeSecurity-ForDisabilities-Hero

Home Security Solutions for People with Disabilities

According to the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC), one in five American adults live with a disability. The most common disabilities are hearing or vision impairments, mobility issues like arthritis or a diminished ability to live independently, speech and language challenges, and cognitive conditions including dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Recently we talked about…

Continue reading
2020-01_FSSTechnologies_blogs_ring-hack_hero-min

The Risky Business of Ring’s Vulnerable Security

If you are like the rest of Americans, you have noticed that the Ring Security company has been in the news lately— and not for anything useful. Between security hacks and lawsuits, the company has landed itself in hot water. Surveillance Camera Hacks Homeowners have security cameras installed in their homes to give them peace…

Continue reading
24h emergency
Secure My Space
chat with us