How to test a smoke alarm
Press and hold the test button until the alarm sounds, and do it at least once a month, whatever kind of alarm you have. If it does not sound, replace the battery, or possibly the alarm. A regular chirp means the battery needs replacing now.
Last updated 16 Oct 2026 · Joel Lister, founder of Radar
Who this is for: anyone with smoke alarms at home: owners, tenants and anyone who looks after someone else’s home.
Who it is not for: landlords’ legal duties or mains-wired systems in flats and offices, which have rules of their own.
| What | How often | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Test: press the button until it sounds | At least monthly | GOV.UK |
| One-year battery: change it | Every year | GOV.UK |
| Ten-year sealed alarm: replace the whole alarm | Every ten years | GOV.UK |
| Regular chirp: replace the battery | Immediately | Fire Kills |
| Where: at least one alarm | On every level of your home | GOV.UK |
Testing it
- Press and hold the test button until the alarm sounds (GOV.UK).
- No sound? Replace the battery, or possibly the alarm itself (Fire Kills).
- Do it monthly, for every alarm in the home, whatever the type (Fire Kills).
If it beeps or chirps
A smoke alarm that chirps or beeps on a regular basis needs its battery replaced immediately. In most alarms the low-battery chirp can be silenced for a while by pressing the test button, but that is a pause, not a fix (Fire Kills).
Batteries and replacing the alarm
A one-year battery is changed every year; ten-year sealed battery alarms are the best option, and then the whole alarm is replaced every ten years (GOV.UK). Many alarms carry an expiry date on the back.
What Radar does with this
- Life setup asks: “When should Radar next remind you to test the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms?” Pressing the test button once a month is the usual advice.
- Life setup puts a monthly test of the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms on your Radar, so it happens on a set day instead of the night one starts chirping.
Radar reads the calendars, task lists and CRM you connect, and the dates you give it. It writes back only when you press a button, and it never sends anything by itself.
Limitations and status
- Radar reminds you to test; it does not connect to or check any alarm.
- For landlords and rented homes, the rules on providing alarms are separate: check GOV.UK’s guidance for landlords.
Also free: Radar Lite, the habit tracker on its own, for you and anyone 13 or over in the family.
Questions
How often should you test a smoke alarm?
At least monthly, no matter what type of alarm you have. (Fire Kills)
How do you test a smoke alarm?
Press the test button until the alarm sounds. If it does not, replace the battery, or possibly the alarm. (GOV.UK, Fire Kills)
Why is my smoke alarm beeping?
A regular chirp or beep usually means the battery is running out: replace it immediately. (Fire Kills)
How often should smoke alarms be replaced?
A ten-year sealed battery alarm is replaced whole every ten years; an alarm with a one-year battery needs its battery changed every year. (GOV.UK)
Sources
- Fire safety in the home (GOV.UK), read 16 Oct 2026
- Fire Kills: detect (the government’s fire safety campaign), read 16 Oct 2026
Written by Joel Lister, founder of Radar · first published 16 Oct 2026. Radar is made by Neos Technologies Ltd.