Keep your loved ones safe by regularly testing and replacing your smoke alarms
In Western Australia all houses or house extensions constructed after 1997 must have 240V hard wired smoke alarms installed. In 2009 this was extended to include all existing buildings prior to transfer or ownership, rent or hire.
But even though these home smoke alarm requirements have been around for a while now, tragically each year people still die in house fires.
A study by Macquarie University has found that more Australians die in house fires every year, than from all natural hazards combined. The fact is that most of these deaths are preventable through appropriate and adequately functioning smoke alarms.
Like any other piece of equipment, smoke alarms require regular maintenance to ensure they are still working correctly, and they have a limited life span. Did you know the absolute maximum a smoke alarm can be in use is 10 years?
Ideally there will be a ‘replace by’ sticker on the outside of the smoke alarm. If there is no sticker then you might need to separate the top from its base and look inside to see when it should be replaced. If it’s not in the form of a sticker then it should be embossed in the plastic.
If you know that your smoke alarm is coming up to its 10-year replacement date please don’t ‘uhm and ah’ the date, Volt Air can assist you quickly in replacing your smoke alarm.
If you don’t know the last time your smoke alarms were replaced, we highly recommend having them replaced without hesitation. Smoke alarms are the most important piece of safety equipment in your home apart from the main switch and RCDs in your switchboard, and it is always better to be safe than sorry.
When it comes to testing, it is recommended that smoke alarms be tested and cleaned at least once a year. Following an annual service and maintenance schedule will ensure that your smoke alarms always have a new battery in them, and no obstructions or debris are clogging detector vents and preventing smoke from properly entering the sensing chamber.
If your smoke alarms are hardwired, please do not replace them yourself. These are connected to 240V mains power and must be replaced by a licensed electrician.
So if your smoke alarms have not been replaced or tested in a while or you have no smoke alarm system within your home, please reach out to the reputable professionals at Volt Air to see how we can help keep you and your loved ones safe by keeping your smoke alarms in tip top shape.
Call: 0894973291
Website: https://volt-air.com.au/