# Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

Published by Pawel Jozefiak. [About this project](https://healthy100.jock.pl/about/), [How we check sources](https://healthy100.jock.pl/methodology/)

- Canonical: https://healthy100.jock.pl/maintain-home-alarms/
- Language: en
- First published: 2026-09-27
- Evidence checked: 2026-09-28, using AI-assisted source verification
- Clinical review: Not clinically reviewed
- Number 73 of 100 in the list: https://healthy100.jock.pl/#maintain-home-alarms

Working alarms provide an early warning of fire or an invisible, potentially fatal gas.

**The number:** More than 400 US deaths and 100,000 emergency visits a year from carbon monoxide poisoning ([CDC, 2026](https://www.cdc.gov/carbon-monoxide/about/index.html))

## The evidence

- Evidence grade: A. Grade A: meta-analyses of randomised trials, or a major guideline consensus.
- Basis: US Fire Administration and CDC consensus guidance on fire and carbon monoxide prevention
- Impact: 48/100. The impact score is an editorial prioritization heuristic for the general list, not a validated estimate of your personal risk.

## Why it matters

Smoke alarms give people time to escape a fire. Carbon monoxide cannot be seen or smelled, and CDC reports that more than 400 Americans die and more than 100,000 visit an emergency department each year from unintentional poisoning not linked to fires. US Fire Administration guidance calls for monthly smoke alarm tests and a new alarm every 10 years.

## How to do it

1. Install smoke alarms in bedrooms, outside sleeping areas and on every level.
2. Test smoke alarms monthly and follow the maker's battery and replacement instructions.
3. Install a battery powered or battery backed carbon monoxide alarm near every sleeping area.
4. Plan how everyone will get outside and treat an alarm as a reason to leave and call for help.
5. Use generators only outdoors, more than 20 feet (6 metres) away from windows, doors and vents.

## Talk to a clinician first

Possible carbon monoxide exposure requires fresh air and urgent help. An alarm does not replace proper installation and maintenance of fuel burning appliances.

## Putting it into practice

### Start now

- 1 minute: Recall where your nearest smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are; if you do not know, make that your first home safety check.
- 5 minutes: Check the test instructions for one alarm; test only if safely reachable without climbing, otherwise arrange help.
- 15 minutes: Check alarm locations from floor level, consult available age or installation records and list missing, expired or hard-to-reach alarms for help.
- 30 minutes: Review alarm coverage and escape arrangements with your household; assign safe testing, replacements and any help needed for someone who cannot hear an ordinary alarm.

### What it looks like

- Test smoke alarms each month using the manufacturer's instructions and arrange help if they are hard to reach.
- Check that you have a carbon monoxide alarm near sleeping areas, not just a smoke alarm.

### Common mistakes

- A fresh battery does not make an old smoke alarm new, so check its manufacture date and replace it at 10 years.
- An alarm is not a substitute for appliance maintenance, so have fuel-burning equipment serviced by a qualified technician.

### A structured start

**Keep alarms working**

1. Check smoke alarm coverage in bedrooms, outside sleeping areas and on each level, plus carbon monoxide alarms near sleeping areas.
2. Arrange safe installation or replacement; leave hardwired work to a qualified electrician.
3. Test smoke alarms monthly and follow the maker's battery and carbon monoxide alarm instructions.
4. Plan how everyone will leave; if an alarm sounds, get outside and call for help.

### Trusted how-to guides

- [Smoke Alarms](https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/home-fires/prepare-for-fire/smoke-alarms/), US Fire Administration
- [Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Basics](https://www.cdc.gov/carbon-monoxide/about/index.html), CDC

## Sources

- [Smoke Alarms](https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/home-fires/prepare-for-fire/smoke-alarms/), US Fire Administration, 2026 (Tier 1 guideline)
- [Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Basics](https://www.cdc.gov/carbon-monoxide/about/index.html), CDC, 2026 (Tier 1 guideline)

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General health information, not a diagnosis or an individual treatment plan. Personalization changes the order of suggestions; it does not assess your medical risks. Follow the cautions and consult a qualified clinician when needed.

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