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When should I change smoke alarm batteries

This home suffered fire damage due to a Christmas battery powered window candle.

A working smoke alarm in your home can make the difference between life or death in an emergency situation such as a house fire. Make sure you are taking the time yearly to inspect your alarms and change the batteries. Many alarms will make a chirping sound when the batteries need to be replaced, but even if it doesn't make that noise after a year, it's important to change them anyway. Because of the sensors wearing out, a smoke detector should be replaced every ten years to ensure it has the ability to detect smoke or flames as soon as they appear.