Check and test your smoke detectors regularly in your New Paltz home

6/13/2019 (Permalink)

A disabled or malfunctioning smoke detector can put your family at risk.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), approximately 3 out of 5 fire deaths in a home are due to either non-working smoke alarms or no smoke alarms. About half of the fires that had smoke alarms installed did not work due to missing batteries or disconnected wiring. Properly installed and working smoke alarms in your Kingston home can give you and your loved ones extra time so everyone can get out quickly.

A good rule of thumb is to have smoke detectors outside every sleeping area, inside every bedroom, and one on each level, including the basement. You can’t be too safe, so if your home is larger, install extra ones.

Test your smoke alarms once a month, check the batteries, check the wiring. If it starts chirping, the batteries need to be replaced. If you have one that has non-replaceable batteries, the entire unit will have to be replaced every 10 years. Read and understand the manufacturers specific instructions as some units need new batteries every year and some do not.

Never disable a smoke detector for any reason, you might think you’ll remember to replace the batteries tomorrow or buy a new one before there’s a fire, but it’s a very risky chance to take. Contact your local fire department if you need help or more information.

When life takes a turn and you suffer fire, smoke or water damage, SERVPRO of Kingston/New Paltz is here for you, ready to help no matter what. Program our number into your phone, Google us too, we’ll help make any disaster “Like it never even happened.”