Smoke and carbon monoxide detection is one of the most essential features of your home in terms of overall safety. Some homeowners will take their detectors for granted, but what they don’t know is that they can prevent many emergency situations from growing worse. Simply neglecting smoke and carbon monoxide detectors can lead to costly, and potentially fatal, consequences. Even if you think your detection is ready to go for the fall and winter, you cannot make assumptions. The National Fire Protection Association reports that in the nearly 400,000 house fires that occurred in the United States between 2003 and 2006, two-thirds of them were due to a home not having reliable smoke detection devices installed. An additional 500 deaths are reported each year due to carbon monoxide poisoning, usually in homes without the technology to alert them of a problem. Life without carbon monoxide detectors is especially dangerous, as the gas is odorless and can seep into your home without you knowing. If you want to keep your home from becoming another number in a troubling statistic, you need to stay on top of maintenance for the sake of you and your family’s well-being.
How Can Current Electric Help You?
Fortunately, Current Electric is here to provide you with service to ensure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working to the best of their abilities. Your safety is our number-one concern, and we will go to any great length in ensuring greater home security. Your fall and winter should not be spent living in your home in fear of fires and deadly gases. That’s why we are willing to make any necessary repair, replacement, and electrical rewiring to ensure your family is kept safe. With the risk of home heating and electrical fires much higher during the fall and winter, you cannot afford to allow your detectors to become faulty. Once we provide service to your home, you can ensure detectors are working at their best and you can live without worry throughout the season.
Helpful Maintenance Tips For Smoke And Carbon Monoxide Detection
In addition to excellent service from Current Electric, you can also take action in ensuring your home has the best smoke and carbon monoxide by following these electrical maintenance tips:
- Replacing Old Smoke Detectors: Though smoke detectors today are known for their durability and longer lifespan, you will need to replace them eventually, preferably after 10 years. This will ensure the detectors are up to date with technology and any new safety requirements and standards in place. This will help you avoid any unexpected detector breakdowns.
- Replacing Old Carbon Monoxide Detectors: You should also replace your carbon monoxide detectors every 5 to 7 years to both avoid the risk of malfunctioning and gas leaks. This will also help you prevent any last-minute breakdowns. Again, keeping an older carbon monoxide detector in your home will only heighten the risk of the detector malfunctioning.
- Use Lithium Batteries: Lithium-ion batteries are longer-lasting compared to traditional batteries and ensure your detectors will be able to work much more effectively in alerting you of danger. In addition, they also have some cost-efficient benefits by allowing you to save money on battery replacement.
- Consider Battery Back-Ups: Your detectors should also be hard-wired with battery back-ups. Having a battery back-up in place is a way to gain peace of mind, especially if your current set of batteries die out unexpectedly. This will provide extra protection in the event of a house fire, especially if the batteries decide to not work at the worst possible time.
- Ensure Detectors are UL Listed: If you want to ensure you are installing the most reliable detectors in your home, make sure the brand of detectors is listed by the Underwriter’s Laboratory, which performs safety testing on electrical devices. This will guarantee you have a trustworthy detector in your home ready to alert you of even the slightest traces of smoke and carbon monoxide.
- Do Not Use Generators Indoors: Always use generators outdoors at a safe distance. Under no circumstance should it be used inside of the home. Since they risk leaking smoke or carbon monoxide detection, all it can take is one spark from the generator to create a massive home fire or gas leak.
- Read the Manufacturer’s Guide: Sometimes maintaining your detection is as simple as cracking open the manufacturer’s guide. It can give info on how detectors work, when to replace batteries, and even what you should do when they suddenly stop working. It can bail you out of any tricky situation, as long as you read the fine print.
In addition to these tips, feel free to speak with our electricians to learn more about what should be done to guarantee a high-level of performance on your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Even if it’s just a matter of learning only a few more tips, it may mean all the difference regarding how you are able to enjoy this fall.
DON’T PUT YOUR FAMILY IN HARMS WAY – SCHEDULE A SERVICE TO ENSURE THE SMOKE AND CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTION DEVICES IN YOUR HOME ARE WORKING
With that in mind, please contact Current Electric today if you want to learn more on how you can improve smoke and carbon monoxide detection!