Home Fire and CO Detector Testing & Maintenance

By Owen Whetzel

You should have both fire and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors, also called alarms, in your house. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in 2000 there were nearly 370,000 home fires in the U.S., resulting in over 20,000 injuries and deaths combined. In addition, hundreds of people die accidentally every year from CO poisoning caused by malfunctioning or improperly used fuel-burning appliances.
 
All fire and CO detectors, whether battery powered or wired into a home's electrical system, require periodic inspection, testing and cleaning. Here are some tips on detector testing and maintenance.
 
-- Test all detectors weekly. Bi-weekly is often a difficult to remember sequence and monthly is not often enough.
 
-- If the unit is battery-operated, get in a habit of replacing the battery or batteries, even if they test fine, when you set the clock back to Daylight Savings and when you set it ahead to Standard time. When replacing batteries, write the date on each new battery with a permanent felt tip pen. Or write the date on a label and affix it to each battery. If a detector starts "chirping," this is usually an indication that the batteries are weak and must be replaced. (There may be other causes of "chirping." See the owner's or user's manual, that came with the detector or contact the unit's manufacturer.)
 
-- Never remove old or dead batteries and then leave a detector without new batteries. Have batteries in hand, when you remove the old ones or you risk forgetting that the device is without power.
 
-- If a detector, that is wired into your home's electrical system fails, first make sure the circuit is on. If there is power to the unit and it still won't function, turn off the power and troubleshoot the problem. Not comfortable working with electricity? Hire a licensed, qualified electrician.
 
-- Vacuum detectors every three months using a soft brush attachment. If you must wash the cover, use a clean cloth, dampened with clean water and then dry with a lint-free cloth. Never immerse a smoke detector in water or spray cleaner on it.
 
-- To test each unit, follow the instructions in the owner's manual, or those printed on the detector cover or base. If you need a new manual, the manufacturer will send you one. If how to contact the manufacturer isn't on the detector, it can usually be located through a Web search or the "Thomas Register," a comprehensive set of reference books found at most public libraries or on-line at http://www.thomasregister.com/. In addition, many libraries also have a brand name directory, such as "Brands and Their Companies," published annually by Gale Research. Another resource is your local fire department.
 
-- If your detectors are difficult to reach and you have difficulty changing batteries or testing the units, consider replacing them with wired units, that can be tested using a flashlight or audio/video remote control.
 
-- Never paint a smoke detector. Remove each battery-operated unit from a room or securely wrap units in clear plastic kitchen wrap while painting. This will keep paint spatters and spray dust from entering the device.
 
Additional questions on smoke detectors and home fire safety should be directed to your local fire department.

Suggested reading:
 
"Product Safety Tips: Smoke Alarms" on the Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL) Web site 
 
"Protect Your Family and Yourself from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning" on the  
U.S. Environmental Protection Association (EPA) Web site

Owen Whetzel has earned an outstanding reputation as an expert among both professionals and do-it-yourselfers, in his writing and lecturing about building, remodeling, home improvement, woodworking and do-it-yourself projects.

Owen has collaborated on books and magazine articles, was a regular guest on The Discovery Channel's highly successful home repair show, "Fix-It Line," and from 1991- 2000 he hosted "Wednesday How-To Night" on San Jose's PBS-TV affiliate, KTEH. Throughout the year he gives informative and entertaining home repair seminars at various home and garden shows.

For the past 16 years he has written columns on home repair for the San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News. In 1990, he was honored to have contributed to the newspaper winning the Pulitzer Prize (General News Reporting), for its detailed coverage of the October 17, 1989 Bay Area earthquake and its aftermath.