Are you a member of the tit club?

You'll be pleased to know that we didn't make a glaring error in the title of our blog post, but rather that we wanted to draw your attention to a very important fire safety campaign known as TestItTuesday!

The meaning behind TestItTuesday

Apart from it being a rather catchy name, it serves an important message to householders whether they are home owners or tenants – or perhaps even businesses to ensure that the testing of smoke alarms takes place on a Tuesday.

According to a Government report issued back in 2012, only 12% of people test their smoke alarm every week to ensure it is working as it should. A fire alarm is only useful to you and your family if it works. From batteries that have been removed to a faulty fire alarm, there are many reasons why testing a smoke alarm weekly should form part of your Tuesday routine.

Testing your smoke alarm

The testing of a smoke alarm is a straightforward procedure that you can do yourself or even get the kids to help you with. Simply press the Test button on your smoke alarm to ensure it emits a high pitched beep.

If you can't reach your smoke alarm, the use of a broom handle is far safer than attempting to stand on a chair to carry out the testing.

However, you test your smoke alarm, it is important that you don't forget! So set up a reminder in your phone, or write a note in your diary....or you could even have a household rota to do this very important task. As fire alarm maintenance specialists in London, we unfortunately come across many householders who do not test their fire alarm at all.

What type of fire alarm is best?

Of course any working smoke alarm is better than no alarm at all! Simple battery operated smoke alarms can be purchased at a small cost on the high street. In some areas, the fire service will fit fire alarms for you free of charge.

Fire alarms can consist of:

• Ionisation smoke alarms which are still commonly used in the UK. These type of alarms are best suited to areas such as landing and office environments where fires would consist of fast flaming fires such as wood or paper.

• Optical smoke alarms. Here at Fulcher Edwards, we recommend that homes are fitted with both an ionisation smoke alarm and an optical smoke alarm. Optical alarms are best suited to areas with soft furnishings such as bedrooms, lounges or even hall ways. Optical alarms are less likely to activate during 'false alarms' like burnt toast – the bain of many smoke alarms!

• Heat Alarms. It is important that heat alarms are installed in the right areas within your home. When we fit fire alarm systems to businesses and householders in London, we often come across heat alarms that have been installed incorrectly. Heat alarms are not suitable for living spaces in your home. They are commonly located in areas such as kitchens and garages as they can detect excessive temperatures and unusual speeds of temperature rises.

• Combination smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms. These are a convenient all in one unit that detects both smoke and CO. Here at Fulcher Edwards, we highly recommend that all UK homes have both smoke alarms and CO detectors – ideally one on every floor of your home. A combination alarm prevents your ceiling becoming cluttered with alarms! These devices emit different beeps to let you know the cause of the problem.

All versions of fire alarms can be fitted as battery or mains powered versions. As fire alarm engineers in London, we recommend the use of mains powered smoke alarms as these are also backed up by batteries in the event of a power failure. Essentially you receive double the protection.

Have your alarms fitted professionally

Where the smoke alarms are fitted in your home does matter. Installation of basic smoke alarms is very simple, often with just a screw or sticky fitting, mains powered smoke alarms must always be fitted by a qualified and registered electrician.

Using a qualified and registered electrician or fire alarm engineer to install your smoke alarms will mean they'll be fitted in the right part of your home, to ensure that not only will you be able to hear it when you're asleep, but also detect the smoke in the first place!

Generally speaking, fitting a fire alarm as near to the staircase as possible on the ground floor, and on the landing on every floor in your home is normally sufficient.

What happens if my alarm doesn't work when tested?

If your smoke alarm is mains powered, then it could be a fault that has developed. It is important that you contact a qualified and registered electrician as soon as possible.

Try new batteries if your smoke alarm is battery powered, if it's not that, you will need to replace the whole alarm.

Make checking your smoke alarm part of your daily routine

Remember to use TestItTuesday to remember to test your smoke alarm regularly! We can almost hear the sound of all those beeps now!