Home safety check: smoke and CO alarms, fire extinguisher, gas and the breaker

A basic home safety check takes about 20 minutes: press the test button on every smoke and carbon monoxide alarm, look at the fire extinguisher gauge, inspect the gas hose and connections by eye, and press the test button on your RCD (the residual-current breaker in the fuse box). Do the alarms and the RCD every few months and the rest once a year. None of these checks replaces a professional inspection, and a few of them must never be improvised. This guide says which is which.

1. Test every smoke and carbon monoxide alarm

Press and hold the test button until the alarm sounds. If it is weak, silent or chirps every minute or so, change the battery; if it still fails, replace the whole alarm. Do the test about every six months, and change batteries once a year if your model uses replaceable ones (our smoke alarm batteries page explains the routine).

A few points that people miss:

• Alarms expire. Most have a manufacture or "replace by" date printed on the back. The sensor wears out even if the battery is new, so follow the manufacturer's guidance and replace the unit when it says so.
• Placement matters. Install smoke alarms on every floor and near bedrooms, on the ceiling or high on a wall, away from the kitchen and the bathroom steam where they would sound falsely. Local regulations differ, so check what applies where you live.
• Carbon monoxide has no smell. If you have gas, oil or wood appliances, a boiler, a fireplace or an attached garage, a CO alarm is a different device from a smoke alarm (some units combine both). Test it the same way.

If a CO alarm goes off, move everyone outside into fresh air and call the emergency services or your gas company. Do not go back in to look for the cause.

2. Look at the fire extinguisher

Check once a year. You are looking for three things: the pin and tamper seal are in place, the pressure gauge needle is in the green zone (if it has a gauge), and there is no visible damage, rust or leak. Many extinguishers also carry an inspection or expiry date. Servicing and recharging are done by a certified provider, and the rules for how often vary by country, so check the label and your local regulations.

Keep it where you can reach it without crossing the fire: near the kitchen exit or in a hall, not behind the stove. Make sure everyone in the house knows where it is.

3. Inspect gas connections and hoses

A visual check once a year is enough to catch the obvious: a hose that is cracked, stiff, kinked or discoloured, a loose clamp, or a hose that touches a hot surface. Many flexible gas hoses carry a printed expiry date, and replacing them on time is cheap compared with the risk.

Be clear about the limits:

• Do not open, repair or modify gas pipework yourself. Replacing a hose or fixing a leak is a job for a licensed gas fitter.
• If you smell gas, do not switch lights or appliances on or off and do not use a lighter or a phone near the leak. Open windows if you can, leave the house and call the emergency number or your gas supplier from outside.
• Annual servicing of gas boilers and water heaters is done by a qualified technician. In some countries it is a legal requirement, especially for rented homes.

4. Press the test button on the RCD

The RCD (also called a residual-current device, GFCI in some countries, or "diferencial" in Spanish-speaking ones) cuts the power in a fraction of a second if electricity is leaking, for example through a person. Press its TEST button every three months: the switch should trip immediately. Then switch it back on and reset the clocks on any appliances that lost power.

If it does not trip, or it trips repeatedly without an obvious cause, stop there. Do not bypass it and do not open the electrical panel: call a licensed electrician.

What always needs a professional

• Any gas leak, gas pipework or boiler servicing.
• Any electrical fault, repeated tripping, scorched sockets or buzzing from the panel.
• A CO alarm that sounded and you cannot explain why.
• Extinguisher recharge or certification.

How to keep it from slipping

Safety checks are the easiest ones to postpone because nothing visibly goes wrong when you skip them. Set them up as recurring reminders with different frequencies: every three months for the RCD, every six for the alarms, yearly for the extinguisher and gas. HouseKiper includes all of them in the home maintenance checklist and sends a reminder when each one is due; you can also start from the first-time homeowner checklist if you have just moved in.

How often should I test my smoke alarms?

About every six months, by pressing the test button. Change the batteries once a year if they are replaceable, and replace the entire alarm when the manufacturer says it has expired.

Do I need a separate carbon monoxide alarm?

A smoke alarm does not detect carbon monoxide. If you have fuel-burning appliances, a fireplace or an attached garage, a CO alarm (or a combined unit) is advisable. Check what your local regulations require.

What should I check on a fire extinguisher?

That the pin and seal are intact, that the gauge needle is in the green zone, that there is no damage or rust, and that its inspection date has not passed.

Can I check my gas hoses myself?

You can inspect them visually for cracks, stiffness and printed expiry dates. Replacing them or fixing a leak must be done by a licensed professional. If you smell gas, leave the house and call the emergency number.