There are two types of technology typically used in smoke detectors to help detect the presence of smoke in your home. The first of these is ionization smoke alarms. These types of smoke alarms use a small amount of radioactive materials to ionize the air between two electrically charged plates. If smoke enters the chamber it changes the flow of this electrical current which then activates the alarm and alerts you to the presence of smoke in your home.

The second type of smoke alarm is the photoelectric smoke alarm. These use a light source that is aimed away from a sensor within a chamber. If smoke fills the chamber then it reflects light onto the sensor which then activates the alarm. These alarms are less prone to going off during cooking activities than an ionization smoke alarm. No matter which of these two smoke alarms you choose to install in your home it is important that you properly maintain them to protect your family.

In order to benefit from the safety of a smoke alarm you need to them to work properly. In order to keep your smoke alarm in good working order you need to perform some simple maintenance tips. These maintenance steps will make sure you alarm keeps working like it should so that you will be protected when you need them the most.

The first key step is to test your battery operated smoke alarms at least once a month. Use the test button on the alarm to ensure it is still working properly. When you press the button the alarm should sound. If the alarm does not sound when you test it then you should first make sure the battery is installed properly or try replacing the battery. If the alarm still does not sound after replacing the battery then you want to consider getting a new smoke alarm.

At least once a year you want to change the batteries on your smoke alarm. Although be sure to check the manufacturer recommendations. Sometimes it may be recommended that you change the batteries more often, so be sure to read all information that comes with your smoke detector. You also want to replace the batteries whenever the low-battery warning sounds or if the alarm does not sound while testing the smoke detector unit.

Be aware that all battery operated smoke alarms come with a warning sound to tell you when the battery power is getting low. Even if your smoke detector does not mention a low battery alarm on the packaging, your smoke detector still has this feature. Often smoke detectors will make an intermittent chirp sound to tell you when battery power is getting low. Whenever you hear this sound you want to replace your batteries. Even when the unit is chirping it will continue to work so be sure you do not remove the battery until you can replace it with a new one. If you are gone for an extended period then you should automatically change your batteries when you first get home since the warning signal will stop after a few days even if you do not replace the batteries.