Protect Your Fort Myers Home With Smoke Detector Installation
Florida law requires smoke alarms in all family dwellings and office spaces. Smoke alarms must be installed with 10-year non-removable batteries when a new installation occurs.
At Service Minds Mister Sparky of Fort Myers, we want you to make sure that your smoke alarm installation is a simple process, and that your home or office is never without the preventative equipment it needs.
Smoke detectors generally last no more than ten years, but the National Fire Protection Agency recommends replacing them every five years to ensure they don’t lose their sensitivity and always work when needed most.
Fort Myers, FL Smoke Detector Installation
Smoke detector installation and carbon monoxide detector installation are two of the best investments you can make in the safety of your home and your family.
Half of home fire deaths are between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. when most Florida residents are asleep.
Smoke detector installations needs to be done in a way that complies with Florida state laws which means you should leave it to the professionals.
Smoke Detectors
Smoke detectors serve an integral role in preventing fire-related fatalities and our Fort Myers, FL, local electricians can install your smoke detectors hardwired with battery backups. Why battery backups? When you lose power in an emergency, you still want to know your smoke detectors will work and battery backups do just that. We can also help you with regular battery replacement and schedule ongoing maintenance.
Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Carbon monoxide is one of the most common causes of poison-related deaths in America. What makes it so lethal? You can’t smell it. You won’t taste it. And you can’t see it. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t there. In fact, carbon monoxide can be released by several things, including:
- Gas ranges
- Gas clothes dryers
- Stoves
- Furnaces
- Gas or wood fireplaces
- Space heaters
- Charcoal grills
- Car exhaust
- Clogged chimneys or flues
Carbon monoxide poisoning can be 100% preventable with an appropriate and legally required carbon monoxide detector in the home or office. These detectors should be installed on every floor and outside every bedroom, much like smoke alarms.
Top 4 Signs You Need Smoke Detector Installation Fort Myers, FL
How do you know it’s time to call our electricians in Myers, FL?
Discolored Smoke Detectors
The first sign is a discolored smoke detector. You don’t have to dust off the ladder in your garage to check the manufacturing date on your smoke detectors. Just look at the color; as smoke detectors age, they turn yellow.
While many people might excuse a discolored smoke detector, attributing the color to cigarette smoke or dust from the Florida air, it’s actually the result of bromine, a flame retardant in the smoke detector.
When bromine is exposed to UV light, oxygen, and heat, it changes color. So while you might think the yellow on the outside of your smoke detector means it is ‘just old’ it means it is ‘old and broken’ and you need Fort Myers smoke detector installation services.
Chirping Sounds
The second sign is actually a sound. if your smoke detector is chirping and it’s going off without any smoke present, it indicates that the smoke detector is breaking down. If you have an older model you might be able to change the batteries yourself but newer models are usually hardwired by electricians and chirping sounds that you can’t get to stop indicate the need for an assessment and possible repair or replacement by our team of licensed electricians.
Poor Test Results
The U.S. Fire Administration recommends that you test your smoke alarms every month. Testing is as simple as pressing the test button on your smoke alarm. It should beep several times and be loud enough that it sets your teeth on edge.
When you run your regular tests, if it doesn’t beep the way it should or it sounds so quiet you can barely hear it, it’s time to consider a replacement.
60% of all deaths by fire take place in homes without working smoke detectors.
Too Sensitive
As smoke detectors get older, their sensitivity changes so instead of only going off when there is a lot of smoke, they can go off when you open a window and let the breeze in.
Let’s face it, this can be annoying. So what do most homeowners do? They just take the unit apart, unplug it, or remove the batteries. In addition to being illegal, this means you put yourself and your home at risk.
Call us instead for new, hardwired units that work more effectively.
Top 4 Tips for Smoke Alarm Installation
Tip #1
Every bedroom should have its own smoke detector installed. You should also have one in your basement and at least one in a living room or shared area on every level of your home. Our Fort Myers, FL, electricians can check your home to see if you have adequate smoke alarms and then offer smoke alarm installation services for any areas that need updating or upgrading.
Tip #2
When you have new smoke detectors installed in Fort Myers, consider hardwired units instead of battery powered units. Hardwired smoke detectors need to be handled by a professional but they can ensure your smoke alarms run through the electricity in your home (in addition to battery backups) which means they have stable power, all the time. Call our Fort Myers, FL, licensed electricians for hardwired smoke detector installation.
Even if you don’t want a hardwired system or an interconnected system that triggers all alarms if one goes off, replacing older battery-powered units can still be worth the time and money.
Tip #3
Consider installing interconnected smoke alarms in your home. With interconnected alarms, if one goes off, they all go off, so no matter where you are, you’re made aware of the potential hazard. Our team can help you review the benefits of the systems and determine whether they’re the right choice for you.
Tip #4
Florida state laws have very strict requirements about the placement of carbon monoxide detectors, stipulating that they must be within 15 feet of bedrooms or a certain distance on each floor. Rather than having multiple units installed all over your home, units that combine both functions can take up less space and be just as effective. So consider investing in a dual alarm + carbon monoxide detector.
Call Service Minds Mister Sparky Fort Myers Today
Our Fort Myers, FL, local electricians can help with smoke detector installation, carbon monoxide placement, or repairs. Licensed and trained to work with any project, our local electricians will ensure you get an on-time arrival, a thorough breakdown of expected costs, and top-tier service.
Don’t Put Up With Any Malarky!
Let our licensed electricians in Fort Myers, FL, ensure your home has all the safety devices it needs!