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How to test your smoke alarms

Last reviewed November 1, 2026 by Jordan Reeves

Press the test button on each alarm until it sounds. NFPA and the U.S. Fire Administration say to do this at least once a month. An alarm that stays silent with a fresh battery, or that is more than 10 years old, needs replacing.

How often: Test at least once a month. Change replaceable batteries at least once a year. Replace the alarm 10 years after the date it was made.

Steps

  1. Warn everyone in the house first. It's loud.
  2. Stand on a sturdy step stool, not a chair. If you can't reach from the stool, get help.
  3. Press the test button until the alarm sounds. Do this for every alarm in the house.
  4. If it's quiet or weak, put in a fresh battery of the type printed inside the alarm and test again. If it has a sealed 10-year battery, replace the whole alarm.
  5. Check the date on the back. Replace any alarm made more than 10 years ago.

Stop and call

Call an electrician: if a hard-wired alarm won't work after a new backup battery, or needs replacing. It's connected to your house wiring.

Why it matters

  • You may have less than two minutes to get out after an alarm sounds, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.
  • NFPA reports that about three of every five home fire deaths happen in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

Sources

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