Daylight Savings Time Alert!

Hi Everyone!

As we approach daylight savings time this weekend -- Sunday to be exact -- there are a few things that we need to keep in mind.

I want to remind you all that as we now go into daylight savings time, we not only need to change all of our clocks, but all the batteries in our smoke alarms and CO detectors, too.

CO or Carbon Monoxide is a by-product of incomplete combustion. CO can be present via any appliance or item powered by a fuel source, like natural gas, oil, propane, and the like.  

CO is a odorless and colorless gas. I will go more in detail about CO in next week's blog post, but I just wanted to give you a little information to start.

There is nothing more important than the safety of our families and what better way to ensure that safety than to replace all those batteries.

Two-thirds of all homes in the U.S. that catch fire burn down to the ground because there are no working or functioning smoke alarms. It's a true and horrific fact but we can all do something about it.

When you go to change the batteries, take the time to vacuum them all out. Dust particles will and do accumulate within the sensor area of these units, and, without proper cleaning, the sensor will malfunction and not work. So not only clean them when you replace the battery, but please, every time you vacuum the house, take the time to vacuum out the smoke alarms and the CO detectors too.

By doing these simple tasks you can help to make sure that these units will work properly and save the lives of your loved ones.

If you don't have any smoke alarms or CO detector units I urge you to visit your local home center and purchase a few and install them correctly, which takes no time at all. There are many companies out there that make great units, such as First Alert, Kiddie, and Night Hawk.

I'd like to see a smoke alarm in every room of the house except for the kitchen for obvious reasons. But ideally you'd like to have a smoke alarm in every room in the house and a CO detector in all common areas as well.

If for any reason the costs of obtaining these two units are a burden, please visit your local fire department. Many departments across the U.S. are providing these units to families, so please check with your neighborhood station to get more information.

Investing in these simple units will not only save lives but provide peace of mind.

Thank you all for joining me, and if you have any questions or concerns about your home, condo, or apartment please write to me, I'd love to hear from you.

Enjoy your week, and remember to visit us next time for more helpful homeowner tips and advice.