Fire Prevention Week, which will be observed from Oct. 9-15, is a good time to not only practice sound fire prevention techniques, but to also make sure your home’s smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms are operating properly. Properly located and installed smoke and CO detectors are an inexpensive way to help keep your family protected from home fire and CO poisoning threats.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that approximately 60% of home fire deaths from 2009-2013 were caused by fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. It also states that working smoke alarms can reduce the risk of dying in a home fire in half.
These statistics show how important smoke alarms are to preventing home fire deaths. Smoke alarms should be installed on each level of your home and inside bedrooms. They should be tested at least once a month. Check the wiring on electrical alarms and check to see if they have a battery backup in the event of a power outage. If non-electrical alarms are not working, change the batteries. If it is still not working, it needs replacing – smoke alarms should be replaced with new ones at least every 10 years.
Making sure your furnace is operating properly is also key as the fall and winter seasons approach. If they are not, your family may be at risk of CO poisoning. A good way to ensure that your system is not producing unsafe CO levels is to install a carbon monoxide detector.
See our blog from earlier this month about more information concerning CO poisoning and CO detector options. And, of course, have your home’s electrical and HVAC systems inspected regularly by licensed professionals to make sure your furnace is operating safely. Call your friends at Armstrong today and sleep easy.
