Most home fire deaths happen between 10 o’clock at night and 6 in the morning. Many victims die because of smoke and toxic gases, not the fire itself.
The Best Place For Your Smoke Alarms
- On every level of your home, including the basement and workshop
- Outside every bedroom
- On the ceiling or 6 to 12 inches below the ceiling on the wall
- Keep them away from air vents
Testing
- Test the alarm batteries once a month
- Press the test button with your finger
- Replace the batteries once a year
Maintenance
Clean your alarms periodically. This ensures that smoke or CO can reach the alarms sensing chamber. This can be done by using your household vacuum’s soft brush attachment or a can of clean compressed air.
Preventing Nuisance Alarms
- Move the alarm away from the kitchen or bathroom
- Get a different type of smoke alarm, like a photoelectric that’s less sensitive to ommon causes of false alarms
- Choose a smoke alarm that has a silencing feature, so nuisance alarms can be topped quickly and easily
