Home spring clean: Smoke alarms FAQ

I’ve bought a smoke alarm, I just haven’t put it up yet…

You’re not alone! But incorrectly installed alarms or having a smoke alarm sitting in its box in the corner could be putting your life at risk. Household fires in the UK kill nearly 500 people and injure more than 11,000 every year. Many of these deaths and injuries would be prevented if people had an early warning and were able to get out in time. In fact you are twice as likely to die in a house fire that has no smoke alarm than a house that does. So use your spring clean to get those alarms up and running – and to check that the ones you do have are still working.

Where should I fit my alarm?

Ideally you should have a smoke alarm in every room, but as a minimum you should put one smoke alarm on each floor of your home.

If you’ve ever had to wave a tea towel at a smoke alarm to stop it thinking your toast is a fire, you might already have worked out the first bit of positioning advice. Do not fit an alarm in the kitchen or bathroom, as cooking fumes or steam may trigger it off.

Similarly, do not fit an alarm in a garage where exhaust fumes are likely to do the same.

Some smoke alarms connect to the mains. If yours does, you’ll need to position it within access of mains power. Many are battery-powered and need to have their batteries replaced every 12 months (although some alarms use a 10 or 15-year battery).

Assuming you’ve already heeded the advice to fit smoke alarms and that you have a 12-month battery alarm, you need to replace the batteries and test your alarm as part of your spring cleaning.

Once it’s fitted is that it?

For proper protection, you should do some basic maintenance to ensure your alarm is working properly.

• Press the test button once a week
• Change the battery once a year
• Gently vacuum the alarm twice a year
• After 10 years, replace each alarm

Follow these steps and you’ll get as much early warning as possible if a fire starts in your home.

For more information about smoke alarms, check the following pages:

Fire hazard

Home safety check