Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms
SPARKWISE ELECTRICAL INC
The Ten-Year Rule Nobody Knows About
Smoke alarms expire. Almost nobody knows this. The sensor inside degrades whether or not the alarm has ever gone off, and manufacturers rate them for ten years from the date of manufacture, which is printed on the back of the unit and is almost never the date it was installed.
If you have never taken one down and looked, there is a fair chance the alarms in your house are older than they should be. It takes us about a minute to check and it is the sort of thing we look at on every visit anyway.
Carbon monoxide alarms are worse, because most are rated for seven years and carbon monoxide gives you no warning at all. There is nothing to smell and nothing to see.
SPARKWISE ELECTRICAL INC
Interconnected Alarms, and Why They Matter
In most houses built since the nineties the alarms are wired together so that all of them sound when one does. A broken interconnect is invisible until the night it matters, so we test it on every visit rather than pressing the button on one unit. Where alarms are hardwired we replace like for like with battery backup, not with a stick-on battery unit, and where running cable is not possible a wireless interconnect does the same job.
Sparkwise Electrical Inc
Where They Have To Go
One in every bedroom, one outside each sleeping area, and one on every level including the basement. Carbon monoxide alarms go near sleeping areas where there is a fuel appliance, and wherever there is an attached garage. None of them belong within a few feet of a bathroom door or a supply vent, and photoelectric units near kitchens and bathrooms avoid the nuisance trips that make people pull the battery.
Sparkwise Electrical Inc
How the Job Goes
01
We read the dates: Every alarm comes down and the manufacture date gets checked. You get told which ones are past it.
02
We check the interconnect: In most houses built since the nineties the alarms are wired together so all of them sound when one does. We test that it still works, because a broken interconnect is invisible until the night it matters.
03
We match the technology to the room: Photoelectric near kitchens and bathrooms, where ionization alarms nuisance-trip. Combination smoke and CO where a fuel appliance or an attached garage is.
04
Hardwired stays hardwired: Where alarms are wired to the house we replace like for like with battery backup, not with a stick-on battery unit.
05
We test every one before we leave: Not the button. A real test, with all of them sounding, and you standing there to hear it.
What We Fit:
Hardwired interconnected smoke alarms
Combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
Photoelectric alarms for kitchen and hallway areas
Ten-year sealed battery units where hardwiring is impractical
Wireless interconnect where running cable is not possible
Heat detectors for garages and attics
Where They Belong:
One in every bedroom
One outside each sleeping area
One on every level, including the basement
CO alarms near sleeping areas where there is a fuel appliance
CO alarms where there is an attached garage
Not within a few feet of a bathroom door or a supply vent
Signs Yours Need Replacing:
A manufacture date more than ten years old
Chirping that continues after a new battery
Yellowing of the plastic case
Nuisance alarms from cooking or steam
One sounds and the others do not
No carbon monoxide alarm at all
Alarms that came with the house and have never been changed
Why People Call Us:
Chirping in the middle of the night
Moving into an older house
A home inspection finding
Adding a gas appliance or a generator
A rental property being brought up to standard
Ceilings too high to reach safely
Nobody has ever changed them
Sparkwise Electrical Inc
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know how old mine are?
Take one down and look at the back. There is a manufacture date printed on it. If it is more than ten years ago, it is past its rated life regardless of how it behaves.
Why does it chirp after I change the battery?
Usually end of life. Many alarms chirp differently at end of life than for a low battery, and after ten years the chirp is telling you to replace the unit, not the battery.
Do I need carbon monoxide alarms if everything is electric?
If the house is all electric with no attached garage, the risk is much lower. With gas heat, a gas range, a fireplace, an attached garage or a generator, yes.
Can you do it if the ceilings are high?
Yes. That is one of the more common reasons people call rather than doing it themselves.
Is this something you check anyway?
Yes. It is on the list for every safety check we do, and we will tell you the dates whether or not you asked.
SPARKWISE ELECTRICAL INC
What It Costs
Alarm replacement runs $160 to $250 per alarm fitted, including the unit. Most houses need between four and eight. A whole-house replacement done in one visit is quoted as a single number and comes in well under the per-alarm rate. These figures are estimates from jobs we have done, and the exact price for your house comes from a free on-site estimate, in writing, before any work starts.
Book an Alarm Replacement
Count the alarms in the house and, if you can, photograph the back of one so we can read the date. Call or text (984) 233-3519 or email admin@raleighncelectrician.com. We answer from 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM, seven days a week. Free estimates on quoted work, and the work carries our lifetime warranty on labor and workmanship, plus up to 15 years on materials. Rated 5.0 on Google and BBB accredited.
