In considering the installation of an in-home fire safety system in your home or office, the key question is, “how often should a fire emergency be serviced?” You have undoubtedly heard this suggested rule from a number of professionals and from popular media reports. The question has been widely discussed but the answer is not simple. There are many factors to consider and there are many potential pitfalls when it comes to fire alarm servicing. Visit securityproflorida.com to contact the professionals.
The frequency with which your fire alarm system should be serviced depends largely on the size and type of the building you live in. The British Standard BS 5839, which covers most UK homes, recommends that fire alarms undergo weekly testing by a qualified individual for at least six months. This recommendation is also made for large commercial premises with several alarms and complex servicing systems, with the recommendation growing to quarterly testing. Of course, you can always choose to do weekly testing, but it is important to consider the factors which may lead to your system having maintenance breaks or having faults, so as to ensure that the system remains fully functional. Of course, the amount of time that it takes to do these checks will depend on the number of working staff – but it is worth remembering that this does not take away from the overall effectiveness of your system.
The frequency of false alarms can vary quite significantly between businesses and this is another factor to consider when deciding how often to service your fire alarm system. One of the reasons why false alarms occur is that the monitoring equipment that is used is faulty. It may pick up false alarms because the staff themselves are not monitoring the fire alarm system, or because they are listening for other distractions such as television or radio. The equipment used must have a high tolerance for false alarms, or else they will not function properly. Another reason for false alarms is that people are not careful enough when storing items in their homes and this then causes a false alarm. So this too can be reduced by ensuring that all fires are contained within the building and then training all employees to make sure this is the case.
Another way of reducing the number of false alarms is to use different types of alarms for different rooms in the home. There are some fire alarms which only sound if doors or windows are open, whilst others are silent. Also, some fire alarms work by detecting carbon monoxide levels within the house; other systems work by using a sensor to detect changes in water pressure within the pipes of your home. However, regardless of the type of alarm that your fire alarms uses, it is imperative that you maintain the system regularly to ensure that it continues to work correctly.
If you have any safety devices installed in and around your property, then it is important that you ensure that these are in working order. This includes smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and fire exit signs. It is essential that these safety features are working order as otherwise they will not only be doing nothing to help protect your property and reduce the risk of injury, but they will also prevent you from being able to identify any risks beforehand, which could stop you from contacting the emergency services in the first place.
Overall, servicing your fire alarms regularly will allow them to work more effectively and in keeping with the regulations and standards. This will also help reduce the risk of injury or accidental fires occurring within your home. Remember that prevention is always better than cure and regular maintenance is the best way of making sure that you fire alarms are working in full order. You should also make it a point to carry out regular pre-test checks to ensure that the batteries in your system are in working order. These simple checks will go a long way to ensuring that your system continues to function well at all times.
