Hi, I finally was able to replace some smoke and CO detectors that died. They had been off long enough that the panel was no longer throwing a fault. So now, I have the replacements installer but no idea if they are functioning correctly. What is the best way to check each smoke and CO detector to make sure the are reporting And operating correctly?
Thanks!
First, if you have professional monitoring, make sure to visit your Surety System Manager and place your account on test mode under the Test My System tab. This will ensure there is no operator response or chance of accidental dispatch.
Pressing and holding the test button on the sensors will send a signal to the panel. You’ll need to hold the button down for about 8 seconds to trigger the alarm. This will tell you that the devices are programmed properly and the panel is receiving the signal.
For the smoke detectors, it is best to test using canned smoke, available at hardware stores.
Using canned smoke to test the smoke detectors will actually test its ability to detect smoke. Here is a similar thread discussing this distinction.