Fire Alarm Battery - Care and Maintenance

Fire alarms are widely installed at all commercial and residential buildings to alert occupants when fire breaks out. This is part of security arrangements to ensure the safety of men and properties in a building. The law now requires all buildings and homes to have a certain number of fire alarm systems for fire detection. Most new homes come with the residential fire alarm systems already installed. Quite often we pay scant attention to the fire alarm products/systems as fire accidents seldom take place. However we need to overcome this attitude of complacency and learn to maintain the fire alarm systems in all the buildings.

But merely installing fire alarm systems will not suffice unless we make sure they are in fit condition and perform properly at the appropriate times. In order to keep the units functioning at maximum efficiency, we must unfailingly inspect the fire alarm batteries at regular intervals. It is best to prepare a checklist for examining the fire alarm batteries that power your system so that you are clear what to check.

It is necessary to carry out regular checks of your fire alarm batteries preferably at intervals of thirty to forty days. It will be naïve to think that there is no requirement to check fire alarm batteries as there has been no fire break-out. Even in situations where the alarm has not been used for any length of time, it is absolutely necessary to change out the battery at regular intervals. Replacing your fire alarm batteries every six months is what experts recommend.During the periodic inspections, check the condition of the terminals on your fire alarm batteries. The terminals must be free from interfering particles and should be clean and free of corrosion. Should you detect any corrosion and the battery is not working properly and is damaged, the right thing tom do is to replace it immediately.

Likewise, the terminal clamps on your batteries should be perfectly clean and any rusting will hamper performance. Lubricate both the clamps and the terminals to prevent accumulation of any residue that could impede with the flow of the current. It would be ideal if you may make it a part of your routine maintenance to lubricate the terminals during every alternate inspection.

Next important thing is to test the batteries for the level of current it is producing. The electrolyte level should be within the prescribed specifications of the manufacturer. Even systems that remain unused and dormant for long periods will begin to wear and need replacing. It would be unwise to wait till the battery is showing almost no charge. It is essential to replace it when the level falls below the prescribed safety perimeters.

If you have any misgivings about the type of battery or the standards to be maintained, there are many sources of information including your local fire inspectors. They can provide you specifics about fire alarms and fire alarm batteries that meet local codes. Your home insurance provider will also know exactly what is required to meet standards. These apart, details about what meets standards for fire alarms and batteries can be obtained from your local city or town hall. Inspecting fire alarm batteries does not take much time, but is a sure necessity for the safety of everyone who occupies or visits a building.