How to Check Your Smoke and CO Alarms in Two Minutes

Smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms are some of the cheapest safety equipment in a home, and some of the easiest to forget. Batteries run down, sensors wear out, and an alarm that worked when you moved in may not work today. Carbon monoxide has no smell or colour, so for most people an alarm is the only way to know it is there.

Here is a check you can do in about two minutes.

Step 1: Press and hold the test button

Press and hold the test button until the alarm sounds. A loud beep means the battery and the horn work. If the sound is weak or there is none, replace the battery, or the whole alarm if its battery is sealed in.

Step 2: Read the date on the back

Every alarm has a manufacture date printed on the back. As a rule of thumb:

• Smoke alarms: replace them after about 10 years.
• CO alarms: replace them after 5 to 7 years, or sooner if the alarm's end-of-life signal sounds.

The date the manufacturer prints on your alarm is the one to follow.

Step 3: Check every floor

Make sure there is a working alarm on every level of the home, including the basement and the area near the boiler or furnace, and outside each sleeping area. Interconnected alarms, which all sound when one of them does, give everyone in the home the earliest warning.

Step 4: Make it a habit

Test your alarms once a month, and change the batteries when you change the clocks in the spring and the fall.

What we look at during an inspection

During a home inspection we look at the smoke and CO alarms on each level, along with the heating system, the electrical panel, the plumbing and water heater, and the roof and structure. You can read more about our services.