Blog posts by category: How To
Category: How To
Posted by Susan R. Pollack (The Detroit News) on Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 3:37 PMSpring forward, fall back: remember 'daylight saving time' this weekend
Don't forget to set your clocks back by one hour before you hit the pillow Saturday night so you can arrive on time wherever you go on Sunday morning and beyond.
But don't stop there. Over the years, daylight saving time -- aka "Time Change Sunday" -- has become practically synonymous with changing smoke alarm batteries, too, thanks to educational outreach by fire safety organizations and safety product manufacturers.
More than 79 percent of Americans changed the batteries in their smoke alarms last year, according to a recent study by First Alert, a leading manufacturer of safety products.
But the company says simply changing batteries isn't enough if a smoke alarm isn't working properly.
It's just as important to regularly assess the age and condition of smoke alarms throughout the house.
First Alert recommends testing smoke alarms monthly and replacing them immediately if they fail or if they're more than 10 years old.
To test, simply press the "Test/Silence" button on the front of each alarm. If functioning properly, the alarm will make a beeping noise. If there's no sound, try changing the batteries -- and remember to replace the unit completely if it is 10 years old or more.
Basic battery-powered smoke alarms start at about $14 and range upward to $100 for more high-tech, multi-function versions.
