Smoke detector battery change advised

Most people remember to change their clocks when daylight-saving time comes the first Sunday in April. That same day, the fire department advises replacing the batteries in home smoke detectors.

Keeping the unit in good operating condition is vital as well. Dust and air-born debris can clog the unit, rendering it useless, new batteries or not. It is recommended you use the hose attachment to vacuum around the unit to keep it clear.

Joe Noble, plan checker with the Clark County Fire Department, agreed that's something Las Vegans should do each month.

"Smoke detectors deal with the ability to detect particles in the air," he said. "When it senses a certain percentage of the test chamber is obscured, it will go off. So you have to keep the test chamber clean. Most single family homes don't do that (vacuum around the unit)."

A working smoke detector doubles a person's chances of surviving a home fire.

More than 90 percent of American homes have smoke detectors but an estimated one-third of those units are either not working or are missing batteries. The National Fire Protection Association reports there has been a disturbing increase over the last 10 years in the number of fires that occur in homes with nonfunctioning alarms. It's estimated that more than 40 percent of residential fires and three-fifths of residential fatalities occur in homes with no smoke alarms.

All smoke detectors consist of two basic parts: a sensor to sense the smoke and a very loud electronic horn to wake people up. Smoke detectors can run off of a 9-volt battery or 120-volt house current.

Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including the basement. Many fatal fires begin late at night or in the early morning. For extra safety, install smoke alarms both inside and outside the sleeping area.

Also, smoke alarms should be installed on the ceiling or 6 to 8 inches below the ceiling on side walls. Since smoke and many deadly gases rise, installing your smoke alarms at the proper level will provide you with the earliest warning possible. Always follow the manufacturer's installation instructions.

Smoke alarms can be purchased at most hardware, home supply or general merchandise stores. Most smoke detectors have a life-span of eight to ten years so it may be time to replace the whole unit.

Be sure the alarm you choose is Underwriter Lab-listed. Smoke detectors are built to chirp when the battery is low.

Noble said home owners sometimes disable the units on purpose.

"If they're annoyed by the chirping sound and don't know what it means, they take the batteries out," he said.

Residential fires represent about 25 percent of all fires, and fires in one- or two-family dwellings most often start in the kitchen followed by the bedroom, Living room, chimney and laundry area.

Cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the United States and often result from unattended cooking or human error, rather than mechanical failure of stoves or ovens. Careless smoking is also the leading cause of fire deaths.


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