Everyone should make sure that they’ve got functioning fire alarms in their home. This is because, according to UK Fire Service Resources, nearly 500 people are killed and over 11,000 injured in house fires every year. A fire alarm will warn you with a loud beeping if it detects a fire and give you more time to leave your home safely.
To make sure that your fire alarm’s working properly, you should test it regularly. This is easy – most alarms have a test button that you can press to check if it sounds. Here are 3 reasons why you should test your fire alarm now.
1. Fire alarms save lives
There’s no doubt about it – functioning fire alarms save lives. A working fire alarm will double the chances of you and your household surviving a fire by alerting you before it’s too late.
The only way to make sure that your fire alarm is working is to test it. Checking it once a month will only take a few minutes and is 100% worth it.
2. Fire alarms protect your property
Working fire alarms also help to protect your property. If there’s a fire, your alarm will alert you before it causes too much damage to your home. And if there’s no one in your property, a quality fire alarm can also alert other people in the area and prompt them to take action before the fire gets out of control.
Plus, if a fire does cause damage to your home, your insurance company is much more likely to pay out if you’ve got working fire alarms.
3. Testing helps you avoid false alarms
Testing your fire alarm won’t just check whether it’ll go off or not. It’ll also help you make sure it goes off at the right time. Keeping tabs on your fire alarm will make it more likely that you’ll notice if it starts behaving oddly or going off when it doesn’t need to. You can then sort this out before it becomes a problem.
So if you test your fire alarm regularly you’ll not only avoid annoying false alarms, you’ll also be protecting your home and your household.