Smoke detectors, when properly selected and properly installed, serve as the single most crucial factor in whether a family will escape a home fire or not. Smoke detectors should never be disabled, and batteries should be replaced regularly. A simple rule is that when it’s time to change your clocks, it’s also time to change the batteries.
Smoke detectors cannot last forever and must be replaced when they fail to respond to periodic tests, or no later than 10 years from the date of manufacture marked on them.
The City of Montgomery offers (non-hard-wired) smoke detector installations for residents only (limit of 3 per household). We can also come out and perform, at no cost, a home smoke detector inspection or battery replacement (homeowner-supplied batteries).