Twice a year we promote changing the batteries in your smoke detectors. While it may seem a small and mundane task, it is a huge difference-maker. Homes 30 years ago were built with different materials and far fewer synthetics allowing 10-15 minutes of escape time. Today’s home burns much hotter and faster affording 3-5 minutes of escape time. Early notification through working smoke detectors is key! While your home may indeed have hard-wired detectors, they still require a battery that will still drain through use during power outages and those batteries must be replaced. It is recommended to replace your smoke detectors every 7 years but requires replacement every 10 years.