Carbon monoxide and smoke detectors are essential safety sensors for your business. These devices are critical for protecting your property and its occupants. Additionally, many local regulations require these life-safety devices. Therefore, you want to ensure these devices are properly installed and inspected regularly.
The Lifespan of Carbon Monoxide Detectors
The typical lifespan of a carbon monoxide detector is eight to ten years. Once the detector passes this timeframe, you should carefully monitor and regularly inspect it to ensure proper functionality. A few factors can affect the lifespan of a carbon monoxide detector, including the type of battery used in the detector and environmental conditions. A CO detector that sees a lot of wear and tear may have a shorter lifespan than one that is well cared for and protected from the elements. Some signs you should be aware of that may signal that your CO detector is near the end of its product life include an old or yellowish appearance, constant chirping, not responding to the test function, unnecessarily signaling alerts, and being over ten years old. At this time, it may be a good idea to replace the carbon monoxide detector.
The Lifespan of Smoke Detectors
As with CO detectors, the lifespan of a smoke detector is approximately eight to ten years, but certain factors may make it necessary to get a new smoke detector before the ten-year period is up. These factors include the type of smoke detector in use and the frequency of the alarms that sound with the smoke detector. To determine if your smoke detector will need to be replaced, consider factors such as whether the product is more than ten years old, if the smoke alarm beeps and it’s not caused by needing new batteries, if the smoke detector doesn’t work when tested, and if you have had a fire in your building recently.
Next Steps
Now that you know more about your CO and smoke detectors, ensure your building’s life safety and fire safety products are in good working order. Have your smoke and CO detectors inspected according to local regulations to ensure you comply and that your building’s detectors all work as they should. Also, consider how long the detectors have been in your building. If the timeframe on one or more detectors in your building has passed the ten-year mark, consider replacing them before they stop working.
With properly working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your building, you can keep everyone safe and comply with local regulations.
