Fortunately it didn’t happen during a sit, or with a sitter, but recently my tenant’s dog, usually quiet, starting whining and scratching at the door. The smoke alarm had started beeping and was freaking him out.
Smoke alarm batteries should be changed once a year, but a HO should definitely replace them before leaving, and a sitter should always ask how recently they have been changed. A simple fix can save you an enormous headache.
(Also, I when I went to change the battery I discovered that the newer 9 volt batteries have hexagonal terminals, not square, so be sure you get the right ones.)
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My UK ones are 10 years fitted free by the fire service and you don’t change batteries at all. I was in Australia the first part of this year and I have 3, one went before I went away so I got a new one. They have the date on and it had actually been 11 years. I didn’t think to check the other 2 but the night I got back one constantly bleeped and the following night the other. Thank goodness I was home or it would have driven the neighbours crazy
The smoke alarms themselves should be changed every ten years. Hard-wired smoke alarms also have batteries for back-up in a power outage.
Yes the whole thing is new now as they are made to be thrown away after 10 years. I actually do prefer it when you can change the batteries as I don’t like waste. I have never had hardwired ones. It’s a brilliant service from the fire service, they did my neighbours as well when I said she didn’t have any. They also brought a laptop logged who lived in the house, how you would get out if there was a fire, any health problems etc.