• Working smoke detectors save lives.smoke image by cherie from Fotolia.com
  
  Your family's smoke detector can save lives in an emergency. In fact, families with working fire detectors are 45 percent less likely to die in a fire, according to the website Smoke-Detector.info. Fortunately for you and your family, smoke detectors are generally very reliable. However, being able to recognize smoke detector problems will let you know when to do some troubleshooting or call a repairman. You will also know which problems you can easily fix yourself.
  
  

Battery Issues

• Battery issues are one of the biggest causes of smoke detector failure. To avoid having problems with your smoke detector's battery, you should test the battery every month. Anytime that your smoke detector is making a beeping sound with no apparent cause, one of the first things you should do is make sure the battery is connected properly. If it is, you should look into changing the battery.
  
  

Debris

• It is not uncommon for dust and other debris to cause problems with your smoke detector. In fact, it isn't even uncommon for a smoke detector to become compromised by the presence of insects. To address problems with debris in your smoke detector, no matter what the cause, you should first detach the smoke detector completely from its power source. Then take a vacuum to the smoke detector. Vacuuming the smoke detector thoroughly will remove any debris and restore your smoke detector to normal working order.
  
  

False Alarms

• Anyone who likes hot showers or isn't the greatest cook knows that smoke detectors can provide irritating false alarms. Steam is one source of false alarms from a smoke detector. Another is smoke from a kitchen. Regardless of which of these is causing a false alarm, addressing the problem is similar. Open a window to let out any excess steam or smoke. Then take a towel and heavily fan the area in front of the smoke detector. It may take a few minutes, but your smoke detector will return to its normal silent state.
  
  

Location

• Many problems with smoke detectors aren't problems with the smoke detector at all--what seem like problems are really just a poor location. If your smoke detector has continued to cause you trouble and you have gone through other methods of troubleshooting, you should consider moving your smoke detector to another part of the house. Whether it be recurrent exposure to steam, heat from a radiator or an unknown source of troubles, moving the smoke detector solve many problems.