Winter Safety
Spring Forward For Fire Safety: Change Your Smoke Detector Batteries
As You Change Your Clocks.
Daylight Saving Time means setting the clocks forward and it’s chance to
consider fire safety. It's important to have smoke detectors installed
throughout your house but it's not enough to simply install and forget
about them. Twice a year, it is critical that you test your smoke
detectors and replace their batteries. An easy way to tackle this task
is to change your smoke detector batteries as you go through your house
to change your clocks. At the same time, it can be helpful to dust or
vacuum the detectors to keep them free of debris that can interfere with
the their operation. Establishing this habit twice a year could save the
lives of you and your loved ones.
More than half of home fire deaths result from fires in the homes with
no smoke alarms. Eighty-six percent of all homes in the United States
have at least one smoke detector but a third of them do not work. Most
smoke detector failures are attributed to a lack of annual battery
replacement. With Daylight Saving Time upon us, it is a good reminder to
change those batteries. Should you neglect to change your smoke
detector’s batteries, the device may make a chirping sound to alert you
that the battery is running low. One should not rely solely on that
warning noise. It is always better to proactively change the battery
every six months. Once your smoke detectors have been cleaned and their
batteries replaced, ensure that everyone in your household is familiar
with the sound the smoke alarm emits and knows how to react immediately.
In addition to replacing smoke detector batteries, spring is a good time
to rid your home of fire hazards that exist in the form of grease, grime
and dust that builds up on appliance chords and in hidden corners of the
house. Below are some ways to consider fire safety while doing your
spring cleaning this year.
Small Appliances
Appliances throughout your home should be cleared of dust and grime that
has collected on both the units and their electrical cords. Grease
should be removed from the outside of kitchen appliances with a slightly
damp rag. The grease pan underneath the toaster oven should be cleaned.
Large Appliances
The area underneath and behind your washer and dryer units should be
cleared of dust and stray materials and the dryer vent should also be
cleaned. Refrigerators present the extra job of cleaning the condenser
coils at the back. The coils collect dust and grime and need to be wiped
clean or vacuumed to keep the condenser functioning. If you have a
self-defrosting unit remember to empty and clean the tray at the bottom
of the unit.
Electrical Cords
Check the cords of your washer and dryer units, television, stereo
system, computer and small appliances such as the coffee pot, microwave
and toaster oven. The cords should not be frayed, split or bare and
should be unplugged and wiped clean with a dry cloth. Any frayed, split
or bare electrical cords that you find while cleaning should be repaired
or replaced to avoid the danger of electrical fires. Systems such as
stereos, computers and televisions, which have multiple electrical
cords, should be connected through a power strip with a circuit breaker
protection to avoid overloading a single electric outlet. Make sure that
cords are placed at least 2-3 inches away from the wall and are not run
underneath rugs.
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Following these spring cleaning tips will help reduce fire hazards in
your home by removing the dust and grime that can act as sources of
ignition for a fire. By taking steps toward fire prevention, lives can
be saved.