So are mine, with battery back-up! That's why they get changed twice a year!
Have you ever had a fire drill with your family?
DH and I used to do this twice a year. We'd pick a Friday or Saturday night (no school the next day), stay up late, and set off the smoke alarms around 1:30 or 2:00. We timed it - usually 90 seconds or less, and everyone was out on the front porch. If they had a pet with them, so much the better - but NO ONE was allowed back in the house to retrieve a pet or possession. When we did this in the cold months, DH and I had slippers & blankets ready for them on the porch. Boy, you should have seen someof the scowls we got! But we knew they were prepared in case of a fire.
Mine are hard wired too and they chirp when the battery is getting low. I used to change them every year but have found the batteries actually last about 3, I still change them every 2 years though.
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Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug.
