How often should you change smoke alarm batteries?

Once a year.

Best month: November (Northern Hemisphere)

How to do it

Swap the battery in every alarm that takes one. Sealed 10-year alarms have no battery to change; replace the whole unit when it chirps.

Why it matters

The low-battery chirp tends to start at 3 a.m. Doing them all on one day avoids that.

Recommended interval: once a year, per U.S. Fire Administration.

General guidance for a typical home; the manufacturer's instructions come first.

Get reminded when it is due

Paper works until it goes on the fridge and stays there. The Househand app keeps the same checklist and tells you when each job comes due, based on when you last did it.

  • A reminder when a job is due, not on a fixed date
  • A history of what you did and when
  • The same schedule as this site, optional tasks and all

The app is not in the stores yet. Until it is, track your house in the browser: same schedule, same rules.

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