Smoke & CO detectors

Everyone knows to change the batteries. Almost nobody knows the detectors themselves expire.

A detector with a dead sensor still chirps happily when you press the test button — that button tests the circuit and horn, not the sensor. The only way to know is the date on the back. More than 400 people die of accidental carbon monoxide poisoning in the U.S. each year (CDC), and older heating systems — common in older homes like ours — are exactly where CO risk lives.

The full checkup

• [✓]Fresh batteries in every unit, once a year
• [✓]Check the manufacture date on every unit — replace smoke alarms over 10 years old, CO detectors over 5-7
• [✓]Confirm coverage: a smoke alarm on every level and in every sleeping area, CO on every level with bedrooms
• [✓]Vacuum the vents — dust is a leading cause of false alarms, and false alarms are why people pull batteries

This is part of every seasonal tune-up I do, including a note of each unit's replacement year so it's on record — you'll never have to climb a ladder to squint at a date sticker again.