subject: Installing And Maintaining Fire Alarms [print this page] Fire alarms are a simple but critical device within the home. Without this device within your home, and operational, you could be putting your family at risk unnecessarily. Fires may occur throughout the home and it is quite common for a fire to break out when no one is awake or home to notice it. An alarm should be loud enough to wake you. It should be loud enough for the neighbors to hear it.
When it comes to installing fire alarms, most devices are quite easy to install. They will offer a latch type system on the back of them. A simple screw device may be used to position them on the wall. Do make sure that the device is both a fire and a smoke detector since this will provide you with the best overall results. When installing these devices, install them on the ceiling or close to the ceiling, but within reach. Smoke rises and therefore it may not be present at lower levels until the fire has escalated to very unsafe levels.
You should place one near your bedrooms. You should place them on each floor of the home. If you have a basement area, place a fire alarm on the top portion of the stairs where the smoke is likely to collect first.
Once in place, fire alarms are fairly easy to maintain. Change the battery at least once every three to four months. Do test the alarm from time to time to ensure it is working. It is important to keep the alarm from being blocked and keep it dust free. Besides this, there are not many other things you need to do to maintain this system in your home.
