It’s time to turn back the clocks this Sunday, Nov. 1 as daylight savings time ends. It’s also the perfect time to do a little housekeeping and make sure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are in good working order.
SMOKE DETECTORS SAVE LIVES
This year, COVID-19 has caused many of us to spend a lot more time in our homes. Stay safe by conducting a semi-annual safety device check. An easy way to remember is to check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors when daylight savings time begins and ends. Don’t put it off. Some 2,980 people died last year in structure fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Sadly, with three out of five fire deaths occurring in homes without a working smoke detector, the NFPA says.
The folks at Delco Alarm Systems remind you that at a minimum, a residential structure should have one smoke detector on each floor, including the basement and attic. Ideally, smoke detectors should also be placed in each sleeping area as well. It’s important to change the batteries in each detector twice a year.
You should also do a quick check of each smoke detector once a month. The folks at Delco Alarm Systems can instruct you how to use canned smoke to make sure all detectors are in good working order. It’s also wise to give each device a quick dusting to make sure a spider hasn’t made itself a nice home inside.
Check to ensure all smoke detectors are free of grease, paint and dirt. If you find a device that is damaged, replace it right away. Never gamble with your family’s safety. And remember, make sure you and your family have a fire escape plan so everyone knows what to do in the event of a fire.
CARBON MONOXIDE, THE SILENT KILLER
Carbon monoxide (CO) detectors are also a must. Place one on each living level of your home, in the basement and near, not in, an attached garage. Carbon monoxide, dubbed the silent killer is an odorless gas that is undetectable to people and their pets. Produced when natural gas, propane, wood or coal is burned, CO quickly becomes dangerous when an area is not properly ventilated or when a chimney is blocked. CO detectors monitor the levels of CO in a home and activate before CO can reach dangerous levels.
Make sure to keep grills, generators and other fuel-burning devices outside and away from doors and windows.
Pennsylvania and New Jersey have statutes that require CO detectors in private dwellings. In Delaware, any new home or addition is required to have CO detectors if they contain a fossil-fuel burning device.
The experts at Delco Alarm Systems can design a fire system for your home that will protect your family and meet all local, state and national fire codes. For more information call 610-494-9100.