Beep!
I made an exceedingly disturbing discovery last Friday morning. Last week, I got a new furnace and A/C installed. Finally.
The installer recommended that I take some time now, while it was nice out, to turn on the furnace and burn off the coating that they put on it in the factory. By the way, I should turn off the smoke detectors for that test.
Friday morning I was going to turn on the furnace, so I went to the smoke detectors that had been installed when I moved in two years ago. Out of curiosity, I punched the test button, but got nothing. I was concerned, so I put in a new battery. Still nothing.
I hadn't put in a battery in them for the whole time, waiting for them to beep at me that they needed it. I hadn't been counting on them being entirely inoperative.
So this morning I got two new detectors (duals) and I just installed one. I have to determine the best place to put the other.
But go test your smoke detectors.