Change The Battery In Your Smoke Detector

Clocks are turned back each fall, and moved ahead each spring and that's a good time to also change the battery in your home's smoke detector.

Anyone who has not done it already, should replace their batteries this week, says Nova Scotia Fire Marshal Robert Cormier. By linking the job to the changing of the clocks, people are more likely to remember the task.

"Battery replacement is the easiest and most important maintenance to be done on a smoke detector yet many people never do it," he said.

When battery power is low, most smoke detectors emit a brief chirping sound. But Mr. Cormier said owners should not depend on that.

"Many people react to it by disconnecting the battery, with the good intention of picking one up later in the day," he said. "The problem is that the battery then gets forgotten and the detector offers no protection at all."

Changing the battery when the time changes will prevent most detectors from chirping and will ensure a high level of protection. Smoke detector operation should be checked once per month.