Kent Fire and Rescue Service has launched a campaign urging people to check if their smoke alarms have expired.
Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) is urging people to check the expiry date on their smoke alarms, as they only have a lifespan of up to ten years.
Between 2022-2024, approximately 6,600 expired smoke alarms were discovered at properties in Kent and Medway during Home Fire Safety Visits carried out by KFRS with some residents unaware that they expire or how to check them.
The service has now launched its own campaign to raise awareness that smoke alarms expire, how to check their date and how to replace them.
Having an in-date smoke alarm is important in helping keep homes safe, as once they expire the sensors in the alarms become less reliable. This means that they might fail to sound in an emergency or could go off for no reason and could impact how effectively they work if there was a fire.
Rachael Spencer, Safe and Well Manager at KFRS, said: “Whilst many residents in Kent and Medway are great at checking their smoke alarms work, which we recommend testing once a week, we found an increase in the amount of expired smoke alarms on our checks as people don’t realise they have an expiry date.
“Making sure your smoke alarm is in-date is so simple to do and provides an extra level of safety in your home that could make a real difference in case there is ever a fire.”
Ian, from Medway, discovered one of his smoke alarms had expired in 2016 after a Home Fire Safety Visit.
“One of our smoke alarms had stopped working and I was really worried about it, so I spoke to the team at KFRS and they arranged for someone to come round.
“I had no idea smoke alarms expired, I just thought as long as you replaced the battery that they kept going forever. So I was amazed when the Safe and Well officer told us that it had expired in 2016!”
Both smoke alarms in Ian’s home were replaced, he was shown how to test the alarm and where the new expiry date is.
He added: “Having the visit has taught me how important it is to test my smoke alarm and check the expiry dates, and now I know exactly how to do it!
“I’d like to thank all the team at KFRS for their help and for making us feel safe at home again!”
The expiry dates for smoke alarms, whether battery-powered or wired-in, should be on the back or side.
To check it, you might need to remove the alarm from the ceiling. Depending on the type of alarm you have, here's the most common ways how:
- twist it counterclockwise to remove from the base; or
- use a screwdriver to unscrew it from the base; or
- (for some wired alarms) push a screwdriver into the slot to release it.
If there’s no expiry date, it means you'll need to replace the alarm and even if the smoke alarm still sounds, if it has expired then it needs replacing as soon as possible.
If your smoke alarm is out of date, you can buy a new one on any reputable website or in a hardware shop.
If you can’t change the smoke alarm safely, we recommend asking a friend or family member for help. But if that’s not possible, give us a call us on 0800 923 7000 for advice and to book a free Home Fire Safety Visit.
Fore more information, click here.