Set your heart not your house on fire this valentines day

If you are planning a weekend of loving this weekend, make sure that the flames of love do not spread to your home undetected.

What are we talking about?! Well it's none other than a timely reminder to test your smoke alarm! Special occasions such as Valentines Day actually puts you at greater risk of a house fire occurring. From a forgotten steak catching fire in a frying pan to getting carried away with electrical impulses of another kind ;) the last thing you need to deal with is an unexpected fire – and your skills with a fire extinguisher may not be as impressive as you hope! ;)

Is your home even fire safe?

You might consider yourself careful when it comes to fire safety, however we don't need to tell you that fires, particularly electrical fires, can start without you realising. You could be asleep in bed getting some post Valentines Day rest when a fire breaks out. The only way of getting out of your home in one piece is to have a working fire alarm that is located correctly.

At Fulcher Edwards we see all kinds of fire alarm 'situations' in peoples homes. The classic one, I've pulled the battery out, is very much alive and kicking. There are also the 'well meaning people' who have brought their fire alarms and now they're sitting in their box in the garage where they might be fitted in the next year or so....then there's the people who don't really like the look of fire alarms so they'll put it out of the way in a windowsill or on a shelf. And finally (phew!) there are the people who have a nicely placed fire alarm, but never test it!

Help! I've never fitted a fire alarm so mine is on a shelf!

Fitting a fire alarm is thankfully easier these days and you don't need to opt for screws. However, where you place the fire alarm is important so that it alerts you to a fire at the first opportunity.

Some form of smoke alarm is better than no smoke alarm at all, however it is important that you place your smoke alarm in a better place (like the ceiling) as soon as possible. There are two options:

• Consider having mains powered smoke alarms fitted in your home. These need to be fitted by a qualified and registered electrician. Not only will they be expertly placed, but you won't be reliant on just batteries. As electricians in South London we fit fire alarm systems for home owners and businesses in and around the city.

• Contact your local fire and rescue. In many areas there is the opportunity to have a fire safety inspection of your home and if eligible, you can have free smoke alarms fitted in your property.

I've got smoke alarms fitted what should I be doing now?

Once fitted and regardless of whether they're mains or battery powered, your fire alarms will need to be tested once a week. You do this by simply pressing the test button on each smoke alarm and hold it in for a few seconds. It should produce a loud beep so cover your ears!!

It is easy to forget to do this, so we support the 'test it Tuesday' campaign that reminds people to test their fire alarms on a Tuesday. The campaign has lead to many fire alarms being fitted and tested weekly in UK homes.

Having a working fire alarm ready for Valentines Day means your home is being taken care of, leaving you free to enjoy a night with that special someone ;)