Are you putting your family at risk? Every home in NSW must have smoke alarms installed, it is the law

Smoke alarms are an essential part of a home’s fire escape plan. If there is a fire, a smoke alarm will give you an early warning so you can get outside quickly. At night when we are sleeping we have no sense of smell and that is the biggest risk if there is a house fire. Unfortunately we see this situation on the news all too often.

It is your duty of care to you and your family to have your smoke alarm maintained and tested. Maintaining a smoke alarm is more than just changing the battery, cleaning the unit and testing the alarm, you need to know that it will work in a fire.

What many people do not realise is that smoke alarms only have a life of 10 years and they need to be replaced before they expire.

It is best to use interconnected smoke alarms, when one smoke alarms sounds, they all sound.

Test your smoke alarms at least once a month.

When you replace the battery in your smoke alarm, always use a quality branded battery.

There are two kinds of alarms for domestic properties, photoelectric and ionisation. The alarms work in different ways to detect smoke, both types are capable of meeting Australian Standards.

To maximise the opportunity for early warning in all fire scenarios, Fire & Rescue NSW, recommends the installation of photoelectric alarms, hard wired and interconnected in all residential accommodation.

South Coast Electrical Solutions are licensed electricians located in Batemans Bay, we can ensure that the correct quantity of smoke alarms are installed in your property. We install quality brand smoke alarms and ensure that the smoke alarms are installed in the correct position. If your existing smoke alarms are installed in the wrong position we can reposition them. We clean the alarm ensuring no insects or dust are obstructing the vent holes. We always check the expiry date on the alarms. Finally, we do a full function test on the alarm.