Smoke Detector Testing

Smoke detectors should by checked by a professional who has been trained on proper testing and maintenance of fire systems and devices. The following is for testing of home burglar alarm system smoke detectors. Commercial or Industrial customers please go here.

Testing the smoke detectors in your home is important. Over time dust and small debris can collect in the smoke detectors sensing chamber, causing the sensor to be over sensitive creating false alarms, or more seriously not working at all.

If testing your smoke detectors is something you don’t feel comfortable doing we provide maintenance services, call today to schedule a service call to have your system checked out.

What you’ll need…

Master Alarm Code
A small can of smoke aerosol

Test Procedures

Place your system on test with Security Central.
Alert all members of your household that you are testing the alarm first, unless you would like to use the opportunity for a fire drill.
Have someone go to a part of the house or apartment that is as far from the smoke detector as possible when conducting a function test, to determine whether the alarm can be clearly heard at that distance. Remember, it has to be loud enough to awaken the deepest sleeper in the household.
To test whether the unit will actually work in a fire, you will need a small spray can of smoke detector test aerosol. You can purchase this from us, locally hardware store, or online. Follow the direction on can and spray into the detector, and wait 5 to 10 seconds for a response. If the alarm sounds, you know the unit will sound in a fire. If not, you have a non-functioning smoke detector. Try changing the batteries and cleaning the detector to remove any dust that may be blocking the openings, then repeat the test procedure. If that does not get it working, it is useless. Replace it as soon as possible.
Follow the directions for your control panel for silencing and resetting your alarm.
Test every smoke alarm in your home every month.
Once testing is complete and your system has been reset, take your system off test with Security Central.

Tips for testing

A few times a year, use a vacuum cleaner (hand-held or full-sized with extension tube) to gently remove dust from the slots cut into the unit’s cover. Dust in those slots could slow the entry of smoke and interfere with early detection of a fire.

Never decorate any part of a smoke alarm (including the outer cover) with paint, stickers, hanging objects, etc. This can impair function.

Alert all members of your household that you are testing the alarm first, unless you would like to use the opportunity for a fire drill.