When You Change Your Clocks, Check Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide Alarms

Annual time change makes easy reminder for smoke alarm batteries

Changing your clocks from standard time to daylight savings time and back again each year can help you stay on schedule and reduce your use of electricity. Using just one of those annual time changes as a reminder to replace the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms could save your life.

Replacing Batteries and Aging Alarms Offers Timely Prevention
Since 1992, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has been reminding consumers to check their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms regularly, and to change the batteries in those devices when they change their clocks from daylight savings time to standard time or vice versa. The CPSC also advises consumers to replace smoke alarms every 10 years, and carbon monoxide alarms every five years.

While 97 percent of U.S. homes have at least one smoke alarm—according to a national telephone survey conducted by the CPSC—without fresh batteries the alarms won’t work when it is time to sound a life-saving warning. Another potential problem, and another good reason to check smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms annually, is that environmental contamination and age will cause the sensors in alarms to degrade and become less effective over time.

Fires and Carbon Monoxide Cause Many Deaths and Injuries
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), more than 1.6 million fires were reported in the United States in 2005, and they caused about 3,700 civilian deaths and 18,000 injuries. In addition, for 2002-2004 CPSC estimated a yearly average of 166 deaths from unintentional CO exposure that had nothing to do with fires.

“Millions of Americans are without adequate protection from fire and CO because the alarm’s battery is dead or the alarm is too old,” said CPSC Acting Chairman Nancy Nord in a press release. "Alarms don’t last forever, and old ones need to be replaced.”

Tips to Help Prevent Fires and Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
The CPSC advises all consumers to remain vigilant against fires and carbon monoxide poisoning, and recommends three simple tips to help you protect your life, your loved ones, and your home:

1. Make sure your home is protected with both smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms. Combination smoke/CO alarms are also available.

2. Test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms monthly to make sure they are working.

3. Once a year, change the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms when you change your clocks to or from standard or daylight savings time.

Making the day you change your clocks a timely reminder to check your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms is a good way to ensure you will continue to have enough time to enjoy the good things in life.