Smoke and CO alarms

[Cgrutt]

Not sure if this really belongs here but I thought it would be useful to post a thread about smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors (CO Detectors) and I suppose fire extinguishers would belong here too. I've read a lot about changing out the batteries same time every year and supposed that's good practice. I usually wait for the beep to get me up in the middle of the night, lol. Anyway, how often do you guys change out batteries on these things? Also how often do you replace the actual detector? I keep a lot of fire extinguishers around. Always have. They seem to last forever but am sure they should be replaced every so often as well. Stay safe.

[usmcveteran]

That is pretty much what I do as well lol. I know that detectors supposedly "expire" but I also have never replaced them either. In fact I don't even test them which I should also do.

[Lord Timelord]

NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) of America recommends that you change your batteries in your smoke detectors twice a year with a fresh alkaline battery at the Daylight Savings Time Clock Changes. If you use the expensive Lithium Batteries that cost five bucks apiece, they are good for the entire lifespan of the detector (adhering to their 5-year rule).

They recommend that you replace standard low end smoke detectors every five years. I know that most people don't follow the 5-year rule for replacing their smoke detectors, but they should absolutely put in a fresh battery twice a year at the clock changes... UNLESS you install a quality long-life Lithium Battery. If you install a new battery into an existing smoke detector and the low battery alarm keeps sounding after a few hours, the smoke detector is defective and should be immediately replaced.

Website for recommended Fire Alarm Testing Intervals

NFPA-72: TESTING, INSPECTION, AND MAINTENANCE FREQUENCIES FOR FIRE DETECTION AND ALARM SYSTEMS (.pdf version for easy printing)