How often should fire alarms be tested?

You should test your fire alarms and smoke detectors regularly to make sure they are working as they should be and will be effective at warning you in case of a fire or smoke. We recommend testing your domestic smoke detectors at least once a month.

This is usually fairly easy to do: most units should have a “test” button on them that you can press until you hear the alarm sound to make sure it is working. If you can’t find one, check your smoke detector’s instruction manual for how to test it.

The alarm sound should be around 75–85dB depending on the model you have. You can go the extra mile and test the sound level with a decibel metre. Otherwise, simply check that you can hear the noise throughout your home, even with doors closed.

On top of testing your smoke detectors on a monthly basis, we recommend doing the following things to maintain them:

• Regularly dust and/or vacuum your detectors to make sure there is no dust clogging up the sensors.
• Change the batteries in your smoke detectors at least once a year, or immediately when you hear a chirping noise coming from it, which means its battery level is low.
• Consider replacing your smoke detectors after 10 years in use, as their reliability can start to decrease from that point on.

Verisure security devices such as the Monitored Smoke Detectors are all professionally installed, and lifetime maintenance is included in the price. If your smoke detectors ever need repairing or upgrading, just get in touch and a security professional will be dispatched to fix it for you.