How often should you change the battery in a smoke alarm?

Homeowners should change the batteries in their smoke alarms at least twice a year. They should also test the batteries at least once a month, making sure to alert other family members so that the family is not frightened by the alarm.

A good way for people to remember to change the smoke alarm battery two times a year is to do the chore at the same time they change their clocks to and from daylight savings time. The homeowner should test the battery more than once a month if the smoke alarm often has false alarms, beeps without being touched or has been activated due to smoke or fire.