6
PSA: Most smoke detectors have a 10 year lifespan built in
Found this out reading a manufacturer spec sheet last night. Checked 3 houses I serviced this week. All had units installed back in 2015. The expiration dates are molded right into the plastic on the back side.
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
dianaanderson20d ago
Check the fine print though. Some warranties get voided earlier.
7
Checked a few of mine after reading this and yeah, the dates are stamped right there. Thing that gets me is how nobody ever talks about the actual sensor degrading over time. @dianaanderson touched on warranty stuff but the bigger issue is that those detectors literally stop being able to detect smoke properly around year 8 or 9. The manufacturer specs show the sensitivity drifts so much that by year 10 it might not even go off for a real fire. Had a buddy who tested some old units with synthetic smoke and the older ones just sat there silent. That's the scary part nobody wants to admit.
2
logan_young2920d ago
Damn, that's unsettling. I remember reading something from a fire safety blog that said the Americium-241 in ionization detectors actually decays enough after 8-10 years to mess with the sensitivity. Those older units just sitting there silent is the kind of thing that keeps me up at night, honestly.
1