Smoke alarms in Brisbane are cheap to purchase and easy to install. It’s worth the effort, as it could protect your family not just from a fire, but also injuries related to inhaling smoke. In the hot summer sun, we know it’s easy for a bush fire to quickly get out of control.

By law, you actually have to have smoke alarms installed in your home throughout Brisbane. The reason why is simple – a smoke alarm will warn you if there’s danger in your home, and could save your life.

The essential guide to smoke alarms

But how do you test a smoke alarm’s functionality? We’ve come up with this quick guide to ensure your smoke alarms in Brisbane are working as they should.

Where to install your smoke alarm

Your smoke alarms should be placed on each floor of your house and in every area where you sleep. A good place to add them is outside all your bedrooms and near the stairways.

Types of smoke detectors alarms

There are two types of smoke alarms – battery-operated smoke detectors and AC-powered alarms.

The cheapest type are battery units and these can be placed anywhere in your home. However, you need to check them regularly to ensure the battery isn’t flat.

AC-powered smoke alarms are more expensive, as they have to be installed by an electrician. However, there are many benefits to these alarms. They tend to be more reliable as you can plug them directly into your power system, and if the power goes out they will switch to battery backups so they won’t turn off.

Testing your smoke alarms

No matter what type of smoke alarm you’ve installed in your home, all should come with a test button which sound their alarm when pushed. A light will also flash or turn on when the alarm is in use.

Schedule a time each month to use a ladder to test your smoke alarms. All you need to do is reach up and hit the test button. If nothing happens, then your battery might need changing. If you replace the battery and your test button still isn’t transmitting a noise, you’ll need to switch the alarm for a new one. This should be done straight away to ensure safety.

Generally if the battery is going flat, the smoke alarm will sound to let you know it’s time to replace the battery.