While you are changing your clocks for daylight savings, why not use this as an annual reminder to change the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.
It is recommended that you
- test your detectors monthly (when you pay your rent)
- change your batteries annually (when you set your clocks)
- and buy new detectors every 10 years.
It should be pretty easy to change the batteries. Often the smoke detectors take 9 volt batteries and the carbon monoxide detectors typically take 2 AA batteries. Of course your detector may vary.
By the way, it's a CO detector, not a CO2 detector!
After being in numerous properties over the years, I have often found that people have removed their batteries and not replaced them with new ones. This was likely done because the alarm went off during an episode of “Cooking Gone Wrong.” Or maybe they heard that annoying high pitched beeping noise every other minute. In case you didn’t realize, that frequent beeping is supposed to be annoying so that you replace the battery with a new one – not just remove the old one.
Not only is removing the battery, putting you at risk during a fire – it’s actually illegal as well.
Whether you are the home owner or the tenant, it is your responsibility as the person living in your home to take these actions and protect yourself.
So use this annual event of setting your clock – to change your batteries. And be sure to share this tip with those that you love.