At the end of the day, a smoke alarm is only effective if it has fresh batteries and is in good working order
. A non-working alarm is an especially dangerous thing to have around the house, since it gives you a false sense of security. The easiest way to ensure that the smoke alarms in your house are working is by having your home inspected on a yearly basis. An inspection company will confirm that everything is on the up-and-up - and you won't have to lay awake nights worrying about your family's safety.