June 3, 2015  How to Prevent False Smoke Alarms

Does your smoke alarm go off for no apparent reason? Well, your vacuum cleaner might be the surprise solution to this problem.

When a smoke detector sounds its alarm, it really gets your attention and can startle the heck out of you. But what if your smoke detector is sounding off without the presence of smoke?  Then the culprit is probably as simple as a build-up of dust and dirt on the external and the internal compartments of the detector. Spiderwebs or other insects living inside a smoke detector can trigger a false alarm as well.

The good news is that this problem can be easily remedied with either a household vacuum cleaner (suction) or a can of compressed air (blowing out the dust). Give it a try!

However, in some instances, when the unit is older than 5 years and/or excessively dirty and difficult to clean, it’s best to purchase and install a new smoke detector. Remember too that it is not recommended that you clean smoke detectors with water or chemicals. Either substance can damage the the unit and cause it to fail completely.

by See Jane Drill, Copyright 2015, All Rights Reserved