Faulty smoke and CO2 detectors are one of the leading causes for fire related deaths in America.  This is why it is so important to make sure that your homes smoke detectors are working properly. There are two things you can do to make sure your home's detectors are working. The first is to test your smoke detectors once a week. If they let out a high pitch beep they are working.  The second is to make sure you replace their batteries every six months. In states with day light savings time, many replace their smoke detector batteries when they set their clocks backwards and forwards.

Testing your smoke detectors once a week is very easy to do but is often overlooked by homeowners. However forgetting to do this can result in tragic consequences. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) "three of every five home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms". To prevent this the NFPA says to follow these smoke alarm tips.

• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of your home.
• When a smoke alarm sounds, get outside and stay outside.
• Replace all smoke alarms in your home every 10 years.
• Test your smoke alarms once a week or at least every month.

How to Test Your Smoke Detector -