Most of us have heard the advice that we should change the battery in our smoke detectors each time we change our clocks for Daylight Saving Time...

But have you ever thought about how long the lifetime of a smoke alarm should be?

I had a home inspector tell me that "if the alarm is no longer white it is probably time to throw it out." What colour are your smoke alarms?

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The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends that it should be replaced before it is 10 years old. Did you know that smoke detectors (at least units that are less than 10 years old) have a "best before" date? The date is often on the back of the unit, your owner's manual should have this information.