All smoke detectors die within ten years. If you’re the owner of a home that is older than ten years and you’ve never tested or changed the smoke detectors you may not be protected like you think you are.
All smoke detectors die within 10 years from the date of manufacture. If your house is 10 years old or more, and you have not changed the smoke detectors, they may not be in working order. The radioactive disc within the smoke detector will be neutralized within 10 years and will not provide detection of smoke present. Every smoke detector has a manufactured date printed on the back, check the date to verify it is within 10 years. If the manufactured date is more than 7 years prior,it is best to change the detector. Either way, set a reminder on your calendar, prior to 10 years of this printed date, to change the smoke detector. If you haven’t changed your smoke detectors in the last 10 years you’re likely unprotected and may not even know it.
Smoke detectors are required to be installed on a dedicated circuit on the house electrical system. When it sounds off you either have a fire or the battery has failed and you need to change the battery. A 9-volt battery back-up unit is most common. The 9-volt units required the battery to be changed regularly. Every 6 months is recommended. I recommend using the 10-year lithium wired unit. It will provide nearly 10 years of worry-free service. The 10-year lithium device is designed to be functional for ten years and then at that time the lithium battery unit sounds off until you replace it. It will only sound during a fire or when the life of the detector is over. Should the unit be chirping, the unit has a fault, it can be silenced. When the silence button is pushed, the internal lithium battery is disconnected and renders the unit inoperative. Replace the silenced unit at your earliest convenience as it is not providing detection.
