Tips for choosing, using smoke alarms

Smoke alarms have become so common that we often take them for granted. We shouldn’t. Roughly 3 out of 5 fire deaths happen in homes with no alarms or ones that didn’t work.

“When there’s a fire, every second counts. People don’t have much time to escape, usually three minutes or less,” says Steve Kerber, vice president and executive director of UL’s Fire Safety Research Institute. Smoke alarms give you that early alert, so you can get out quickly.

Smoke alarms are inexpensive and fairly simple to use. A basic one starts at about $10. Here’s what you need to know to properly outfit your home.

Look at the label. Check the alarm packaging or the device for UL or ETL (Intertek’s Electrical

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Getty Images Each year you should inspect your smoke alarms for signs of aging, and prepare to replace them every 10 years, if not sooner.