Smoke Alarm Installation, Testing & Changeovers

When should I change my smoke alarm battery?

You should change your batteries every 6 months. A good habit to get into is to change your batteries when you change your clocks for daylight saving time. Most smoke alarms take a 9 volt battery, which is easily purchased at any supermarket or hardware store.

How long does a smoke detector last?

A smoke detector actually has a life span of 10 years. Therefore, a house older than ten years will most likely need to replace its smoke detector to guarantee safety. To check if yours needs replacing, every smoke alarm will have an expiry date on it. Each smoke alarm is hard wired in and requires a certified electrician to remove and replace.

How do you test a smoke alarm?

To test a smoke alarm you will need a tin of test smoke, which you simply spray at the smoke detector and see if it will go off. If it does go off then you can do a decibel test to see how loud it is, and if it doesn’t go off at all then it’s time to replace your smoke alarm. If the smoke detector fails to sound an alarm with smoke present, please call us at Cardinia Electrical so we can replace the defective device as soon as possible.