Fire Alarms - 15 minutes, could save 15% or more

Actually the savings are much closer to 80%, only it's not insurance rates... it's fire related deaths.  Deaths that could have been prevented by smoke detectors, carbon monoxide alarms, or fire extinguishers.  


In the time it takes you to read this paragraph, an estimated 110 house fires will be have been reported somewhere in the world (that's 117,000,000 each year). More people are killed annually in the United States by fires than all other U.S. natural disasters combined.  The importance of having smoke detectors installed is all but undisputed,  yet approximately 80 percent of all home-fire deaths occur in homes with no alarms or alarms that aren't working.  How unfortunate it is that, a few minutes and/or the cost of what it takes to treat your sweetie to a big mac meal under “the Golden Arches,” could have prevented most of those deaths. 

SMOKE DETECTORS

Look up at your ceiling and you'll probably find one.  Today, some 95% of homes in the United States have at least one smoke detector installed.  But when is the last time you checked to see if yours is functioning properly.  Unfortunately, 20% of the homes with smoke detectors installed have units that don't work – not because the alarm itself is broken (which rarely happens) but because either A) the batteries are dead or B) the batteries were removed to prevent false alarms.

The smoke alarm check is simple: push the test button on the outer casing of the detector. If it doesn't work (you’ll know by the lack of ear piercing screeching), change the batteries. Even if your home’s alarms are hard-wired (connected to the house electrical system) they should still have batteries as a backup - to take over in case of a power failure; batteries should checked or replaced regularly - at least once a year is recommended.

Probably the biggest complaint against smoke detectors are false alarms.  Who hasn’t spent time perched precariously atop a wobbly chair flapping a towel vigorously trying to silence the screaming alarm that picked up the scent of burnt toast.  The two most common culprits of false alarms are bathroom steam and kitchen cooking smoke. Though it goes against some safety guidelines, as a practical matter, if you're about to disable a detector due to false alarms, before you do something that could potentially cost you or a loved one’s life, how about just moving it instead.  You may be out of “code” compliance but if the alternative is to disable the device I would rather be guilty of a small infraction of the building code than become a statistic.  

CARBON MONOXIDE (CO) DETECTORS


Although most homes in the US have smoke detectors, less than half have carbon monoxide detectors installed.  Carbon monoxide is the byproduct of incomplete combustion.  It is a colorless and odorless gas.  Often symptoms of low to moderate carbon monoxide poisoning are mistaken for the flu, food poisoning or other illnesses – if left unchecked these may develop into long term health problems.  Lethal dosages of CO don’t necessarily come from a large leak and can build rapidly.

There are several types of CO detectors. The most common is electromagnetic. It reacts to high concentrations that pose an immediate threat, and to minor leaks that can be hazardous over time.

Basic units from First Alert and Kidde cost about $30.  then again why not kill two birds with one stone, for about the same price you can install combo units like the Kidde KN-COSM-B (this smart little unit even talks to tell you which potential danger is present).  Combo units are a great options near mechanical rooms and common corridors.  Most carbon monoxide detectors run on battery power or plug into wall outlets, although some models can be hard-wired to the electrical system and connected to whole-house monitoring systems. 


The seasonal check for CO alarms is almost the same as smoke alarms but also requires cleaning the sensor inlets using a soft vacuum brush in order to ensure the detection chambers remain clear of debris that could impede performance.

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS

Every home should have a fire extinguisher.  Because house fires can be from multiple sources you want an A-B-C-rated extinguisher like the Kiddie Multi-purpose Fire Extinguisher ($25.63 at amazon).  The A-B-C rating means it’s capable of extinguishing all fire types - wood(A), chemical(B), and electrical fires(C) - Some extinguishers use graphical representations of each type instead of letters but it means the same thing.  These fire extinguishers typically have a fairly long shelf life but should be checked annually to ensure their charge level stays in the green.  


The First Alert Tundra ($14.49 at amazon) looks like run of the mill aerosol spray can but is A-B-C rated and can be stored where it is easily accessible.  The units can not be recharged.  Check the performance date and replace as needed per the instructions on the canister. 

Remember an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure?  In this case an ounce of prevention could save your life and avoid having the fire department smashing down your door and drenching your house with high pressure water hoses – but i suppose the former sounds a little better.