Smoke and CO Alarms Are Not Done When They Are Mounted. Test Each One in the Room Before You Leave.

Installing a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm sounds like one task, but it is really four: choose the spots, mount them, test them, and set the routine that keeps them working. Most of the failures happen between the second and third steps, when everyone assumes the alarm is done because it is on the wall.

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Check the package and the room before you buy

Read the package for the power type, whether the unit is battery only, plug-in with backup, or hardwired, and whether the alarm is smoke only or smoke and carbon monoxide together. Check how many units your parent's home needs by walking the floors and noting every sleeping area and the spaces next to them. If your parent's home has an older alarm, note its date printed on the back so you know when it should be replaced, and confirm that with the manufacturer's instructions.

Mount them where the instructions say

Follow the mounting instructions on the package, including any distance rules from corners, vents, kitchens, and bathrooms. Do not mount an alarm where a door or a shelf will block it. Use the tools and hardware the package lists. If the home has a building or fire code rule that differs, your local fire department or building office can tell you which rule applies, and that is the answer to trust.

Test the first unit in the room before you leave

Press the test button on each unit while you are still in the house. Confirm that the sound is loud enough to hear from the bedroom, and that the carbon monoxide unit gives its own test signal. If you are unsure whether a unit is working, check the manual for what the normal test looks like, and do not assume a light means a working alarm.

Set the routine that keeps them working

Write the test day, the battery change day, and the replacement year on a card that stays near the alarm, or in a calendar that someone else can see. Note the brand and model number so the next person knows what to buy. A plan that lives only in your head will fail the first time you are sick or away.

Name who answers the chirp

An alarm that chirps at night is a job someone must answer. Decide who climbs the ladder, who buys the batteries, and who checks the unit when the chirp starts. If that person is you, and you know you will not be home, name a backup who can reach the house and knows where the batteries are kept.