The Importance of Smoke Detectors in the Home

Of course, one of the worst possible scenarios for anyone’s home is to see it destroyed by fire. While this tragedy has unfortunately happened to many already, following a few simple tips can help to dramatically reduce the chance of it affecting you.

The most commonly suggested step is to fit your house with smoke alarms and to regularly check that they have working batteries. Indeed, you may have heard this tip many times before, but it’s one that cannot be overemphasised. The common link between almost two-thirds of house fires is that those properties do not have smoke alarms.

In fact, the majority of deaths in house fires are not from burns, but instead from inhalation of smoke and toxic gases which spread more quickly through the house. Therefore, without smoke detectors, these can often go through the house unnoticed, especially at night.. But working smoke detectors can respond to these gases at any time, and their shrill warning sounds are designed to wake even the heaviest of sleeper.

It is suggested that smoke alarms are fitted on every floor of a property and that they should also be inside every bedroom, with one in the hall outside each sleeping quarter. Smoke alarms close to kitchen appliances or fireplaces may result in nuisance alarms, so choose your positioning carefully.

What’s more, if you ever find yourself in a situation when you need to evacuate your home, make sure you alert all the people inside and get out as quickly as possible. While it’s tempting to try to save possessions, this is not recommended as every extra second spent in a burning building makes it increasingly dangerous.

For peace of mind, it’s a good idea to get an expert to check your house for you. Many fire and rescue services offer this service for free and they focus on ways to minimise potential fire risks, ensure you have working smoke alarms and help to plan an escape route in case of fire. These home insurance tips and fire advice could save lives, belongings and money — especially as a home insurance quote is likely to rise after any claims related to fire.

It is also important to understand that smoke alarms should be checked monthly; and it is recommended that batteries are changed at least yearly. A good time to do this is in spring or autumn, as you’ll have a timely reminder that, as you go around your house changing clocks, you should attend to your smoke alarms as well. The actual device itself should be used for a maximum of ten years, but if you suspect it needs replacing before then it would be beneficial to do so.

While it may be easy to put off these tasks, they are only small inconveniences for the huge benefit you, your loved ones and your home will receive from a working smoke detector.
—
Andrew Regan writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.