Test it Tuesday – are you pressing your button?

gazza — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 23:00:00 +0000

gazza Tue, 14/08/2012

Pressing a simple button on a Tuesday may save your life! It seems easy and surely we would all jump to the chance of saving our life in such an easy way! What are we talking about?

Test It Tuesday! Its a new initiative launched by the fire service to increase the awareness of testing your smoke alarm. The good news is 9 out of 10 households now have a smoke alarm fitted in their homes however many of these households don't test their fire alarm on a weekly basis.

So how do you test your smoke alarm?

It really is a simple press of the test button on your smoke alarm. If the alarm sounds, then all is well. If not then this indicates a problem which means your fire alarm may not alert you in the event of a fire in your home.

Sounds easy enough – so why aren't we testing our fire alarms weekly?

Lack of time often springs up, along with not being able to reach the alarm to test it. A fire alarm can be tested from the ground using a long handle such as a broom. The fire service hope to build awareness by making testing your smoke alarm a weekly habit in the same way that shopping is done on a Thursday, the bins are put out on a Monday and the like. If testing your fire alarm is built into your routine, it is far less likely you will forget to test it which puts your home and family at risk. NEVER be tempted to cover up a fire alarm that sounds whilst you are cooking and NEVER be tempted to remove a battery.

What are the fire alarm options?

There are many options available now for smoke alarms with all modern fire alarms offering increased reliability. Many local fire services will fit fire alarms to your property free of charge. If you do not have any fire alarms in your home, this is the perfect opportunity to enquire about free fire alarms. The fire alarms will be placed in your property by a fire specialist in integral areas. The units are completely sealed with a battery that should last for up to 10 years.

Another option with optimal safety features is to have your home fitted with hard wired smoke alarms with battery back up. This work would need to be carried out by a qualified electrician who would advise on the best fire system for your property and install the system for you. The best time to have this work done would be when you have your home rewired. This option is ideal when you are planning home improvements.

Ask your local electrician for more details. Don't forget though, you still need to test it weekly! Test It Tuesday, find it on Twitter by searching #testittuesday

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TestItTuesday, smoke alarm, Exclusive Industry News