Sunday 3 November 2024

Change your time, change your batteries.. and more?

Daylight Savings Time just ended with clocks moving back one hour at 2:00am on Sunday, November 3.

But while we're changing the time on all the clocks, it might be a good idea to change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors.  The DST changes are common times to do this, just so that it's a regular thing.  You should change them at least once per year, whether you do it with the spring time change or in the fall (or at new years, or whatever works for you).

But, besides the batteries, you should consider whether your smoke and CO detectors themselves should be changed.  The Government of Canada's [web page on fire safety] suggests sticking to the industry-recommended 10 year lifetime for detectors.  So if any of your smoke or carbon monoxide detectors are over 10 years, you should consider replacing the whole unit rather than just the batteries.

And on the topic of detectors, remember that it is the law that every house have a working smoke detector on every level and (if there are any gas-burning appliances in the house such as stove, furnace or water heater) a CO detector by any sleeping areas.

If in doubt, as the old saying goes: it's better safe than sorry.

For more information on smoke and carbon monoxide detectors from the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs:

Smoke detectors: https://www.oafc.on.ca/public-safety/smoke-alarms

CO detectors: https://www.oafc.on.ca/public-safety/carbon-monoxide-alarms

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