Don’t be an April Fool — check your smoke alarms!

As April Fool’s Day approaches, Fallon Solutions and Queensland Fire and Emergency Services urge homeowners not to overlook a critical aspect of their safety — checking smoke alarms. It’s not a prank; it’s a vital routine to ensure your home’s safety.

Smoke alarms are an essential part of any home’s safety system. They provide an early alert for you and your family to the presence of smoke or fire, giving you precious time to evacuate before it’s too late. But simply having smoke alarms isn’t enough. You need to make sure that they’re working properly and that they’re up to date.

One of the most important things you can do to ensure that your smoke alarms are working properly is to test the alarm monthly and change/test the batteries regularly. Experts recommend changing/testing the batteries in your smoke alarms at least once a year, and April Fool’s Day is a great day to do it.

In addition to changing/testing the batteries, you should also make sure that your smoke alarms are less than 10 years old. Smoke alarms can lose their effectiveness over time, so it’s important to replace them once they reach the used-by date (stamped on the alarm). If your smoke alarms are more than 10 years old, it’s time to replace them with new ones.

Even if your smoke alarm is hardwired into your home’s electrical or already upgraded to an interconnected system, it still needs to be routinely tested.

Updated smoke alarm legislation

In 2017, Queensland smoke alarm laws were updated, with a rollout of required upgrades depending on the property situation.

The updated legislation mandates that all homes must install interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms in every bedroom, in hallways, and on every level by 2027. Photoelectric smoke alarms respond to a wide range of fires but are particularly responsive to smouldering fires and dense smoke, the most common type of household fire.

Having interconnected alarms means when one alarm is activated, all alarms will sound. The extra time that gives you can make all the difference.

Find out all the details of the updated Queensland smoke alarm legislation as well as the compliance requirements here – Smoke Alarm Legislation

Checking your smoke alarms, or getting an expert to check them, might not be the most exciting thing to do on April 1st, but it could be one of the most important. By taking a few minutes to change/test the batteries, replace old smoke alarms, and make sure that your home has enough smoke alarms, you’ll be doing your part to keep yourself and your family safe.

This April, Fallon Solutions would like to remind everyone to check their smoke alarms! You can protect your family and property with a comprehensive $99 Smoke Alarm Check which is carried out by an experienced Fallon Solutions electrician.

Find out more and book our $99 smoke alarm check here – $99 Smoke Alarm Check.