For those homeowners that have smoke and carbon dioxide detectors installed, be aware that these detectors have a life expectancy of 10 years or less. If you are not aware of the age of you’re detectors, the date of manufacture is listed on the detector.
In older homes, detectors were powered by house current only. During a power failure, these detectors will not work.
Older detectors are subject to failure due to loss of house current, battery power, obsolescence, contamination from dust and dirt, abuse, painting, etc.
Detectors should be inspected and tested monthly. They may need to be cleaned periodically to prevent false alarms. Never disable detectors.
When the battery operated detector is beeping, it telling you that the battery is failing and needs to be replaced. Batteries should be replaced annually except for detectors that are equipped with 10 year batteries.
It is advisable to install detectors using an uninterruptible power supply such as batteries or normal house current with a battery back up.