SAFE HOUSE
Ensure your home is equipped with proper alarm technology,
Getting the house ready for winter? You know the drill — switch to warmer bedding, haul out the furry throws, and unbox cheery holiday decor.
But while all that will undoubtedly make interiors cosier, none of it will address one of the most important items on a seasonal to-do list: checking on — and possibly replacing — fire and/or carbon monoxide (CO) alarms.
It’s a no-brainer step to keeping the family safer.
According to the Canadian National Fire Information Database (nfidcanada.ca)
80 per cent of fire deaths occur in homes without working smoke alarms, often because they are missing batteries.
Statistics Canada reports that there are more than 300 deaths and more than 200 hospitalizations annually related to carbon monoxide, an odourless, colourless gas that can be produced by any fuel-burning device.
Despite the fact CO alarms are the only way to detect the poisonous gas, more than a third of Canadian homes don’t have a CO detector. That’s according to a 2017 survey conducted for First Alert, which makes a variety of home safety products, including smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, fire extinguishers, safes and security cameras.
Smoke alarms are recommended by safety agencies on every level of the home, including the basement, inside bedrooms and in the main corridors, and carbon monoxide alarms should be installed on each level of the home and in a central location outside bedrooms.
Given that failing or worn batteries in an alarm could have life-altering consequences, it’s also surprising that 67 per cent of Canadians don’t replace their alarm batteries every six months, as recommended.
In the past, an easy way to remember was to check and/or replace them when the clocks change. Now there’s an even easier option.
First Alert (firstalert.ca) offers units with a 10-year sealed battery that lasts the life of the product.
The tamper-proof sealed lithium battery, which can’t be removed, eliminates pricey battery replacements, as well as those irritating low-battery chirps, which inevitably go off at 2 a.m. When the product nears the end of its life, it does emit warning beeps.
First Alert makes both smoke and CO alarms equipped with the long-life battery technology.
A 10-year battery carbon monoxide alarm ($58) features a digital display that shows detected CO levels in parts per million.
It uses an extremely accurate sensor to detect dangerous levels of CO, and emits an unignorable, high-pitched horn sound. There’s also a “peak function” feature that records highest CO level.
While in use, it also displays ambient room temperature.
About the size of a cellphone or a deck of cards, it can sit on a tabletop or dresser and look like an unobtrusive accessory — allowing it to contribute to both the home’s style and safety.
There’s also a 10-year combination carbon monoxide and smoke alarm ($60), which offers two types of protection in one unit. It has the same non-removable battery and an alarm sounds when the item nears the end of its life. It works on a photoelectric smoke sensor that uses a light source within a sensing chamber: when a fire causes smoke to enter the chamber, it reflects light onto the sensor and activates the alarm. This technology, which First Alert suggests reduces false alarms, is especially well-suited for hallways near kitchens and bathrooms.
With a low, slim profile that hugs the ceiling, it’s about half the size of standard alarms. Not only is the twist and mount design easy to install, those with high or coffered ceilings won’t miss having to climb up on a ladder to access the unit for battery changes.
So by all means, fluff your nest for a long, dark winter with decor and accessories that give you that warm, fuzzy feeling. Just remember to make safety the foundation of your seasonal tune-up.