All homes and holiday homes in Norway must have at least one smoke alarm on each floor. You should test the smoke alarm regurarily, preferably once a month. If you have a one year battery, remember to change this yearly.

Test once a month

All smoke alarms should be tested at regular intervals, at least once a month. To test the smoke alarm, press and hold the ‘test’ button for one second. The smoke alarm should then begin to beep. If it doesn’t, you must change the battery and test it again. If it still doesn’t work, replace it.

Change the battery

If you have a one year battery, you should change the battery in the smoke alarm at least once a year. Our suggestion is to make it a house rule to change the battery on the 1st of December, which is Nordic Smoke Alarm Day.

If the smoke alarm starts chirping, it’s trying to tell you that the battery is low. You should then change the battery immediately. After you’ve changed the battery, check that the smoke alarm is working by pressing the test button. If the battery in the smoke alarm is new, and there is no reaction from the smoke alarm, this means that the battery is defective and must be replaced immediately.

Lifespan of smoke alarms

A smoke alarm should normally last between eight and ten years. In very dusty or dirty environments, a detector can become unstable and give off false alarms because its sensor has become dusty or dirty. Smoke alarms have a shorter lifespan in these environments.