Do you love to decorate your home with festive Christmas lights, candles, and decor for the holiday season? We get it! This is a great time of year and many people love to go all out when it comes to making your home look merry and bright. That being said, all the decor combined with frequent fireplace usage increases the likelihood of experiencing a house or chimney fire. This emphasize the importance of practicing extra caution.
One simple step is to install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home. These devices have made all the difference for many families when it comes to ensure the safety of their homes. Learn more below and then contact the team at Sweeps and Ladders for more information.
Maintaining Your Smoke Alarm
Smoke alarms are extremely effective at warning homeowners against smoke and fire, but only if they are properly maintained. You should make sure to check your smoke alarm at least once a month. You should also change the batteries when it needs. Each unit needs to be replace every 10 years to ensure it is working proper when you need it.
The NFPA also urges homeowners to install smoke detectors on every level on their home. It is also smart to install one in any room where a person is sleeping. You should also, link them all, so that if one goes off, they all go off, as this alerts the entire household. If yours does go off, get out of the house and stay out until you know for sure your house is safe.
Avoiding Carbon Monoxide Exposure
Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, so detecting it with your basic senses is impossible. Because of this, people often don’t notice symptoms until it is too late, which then results in many carbon monoxide-related deaths every year. Installing a detector in your home is vital for keeping you and your loved ones safe, and proper maintenance is key when it comes to ensuring these devices are working effectively.
The CDC suggests changing the batteries in your carbon monoxide detector twice a year to guarantee it is functional, when necessary. You’ll also want to ensure the detectors are in areas where you will hear them if you are asleep. It may also be wise to buy one that has a digital readout, so that you know how the level of carbon monoxide concentration is at any given time.
You can also help avoid exposure by regularly having your gas appliances serviced yearly. However, you should play it safe and have a professional check out suspicious gas in your house. An expert will ensure all systems are venting properly, so you can rest easy knowing all dangerous fumes are escaping out safely and efficiently.
Call Us In For Your Yearly Maintenance!
Along with smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, it’s important to invest in annual inspections for your chimney and fireplace. At Sweeps and Ladders, we can help you with it all!
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