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Date: 10/31/2018
GREATER SPRINGFIELD – It’s almost time to “fall back” – we set our clocks back to standard time at 2 a.m. on Nov. 4. That means it’s traditionally time to check and change the batteries in your smoke and CO (carbon monoxide) detectors.
But what about the detectors themselves? When’s the last time you thought about these lifesaving devices? Like the batteries we so religiously replace every six months, smoke and CO detectors have a lifespan, too, according to Captain Christopher Beecher, public fire and life safety educator for the East Longmeadow Fire Department.
He added that several of the recent fire tragedies were the direct results of non-functioning smoke detectors, which makes ensuring your home has working units as the heating season begins even more critical.
Check those dates
“Smoke detectors are good for 10 years,” Beecher told Reminder Publishing. “There is actually a date on the back that will tell you when it was manufactured.”
And that 10-year lifespan starts clicking down from the date of manufacture, not from the date you install the device, so it’s important to be aware of the dates on your devices, Beecher added.
If, when you take down your smoke detector, you don’t find a date on the back, then it’s older than 10 years and needs to be replaced as soon as possible, he stressed. These detectors come in two types, ionization – which primarily detects heat – and photoelectric, which will pick up a smoky fire faster. Beecher said his department recommends homeowners install the photoelectric type of smoke detectors. Once installed, he said the detectors should be tested at least once a month to be sure they are in working order.
“There is a test button [on every device],” Beecher said.
Like smoke detectors, CO detectors also have a lifespan, in this case, about six years from date of manufacture. “They have a date on the back as well,” Beecher said.
With the temperature starting to drop and people turning to their wood stoves and fireplaces for auxiliary heat, Beecher said it is important to remember that a CO detector should be placed within 10 feet of every sleeping area, regardless of the floor it is on, and that there should always be a CO detector in the basement.
It’s also a good idea to regularly inspect any fire extinguishers in the home.
Beecher said extinguishers don’t have expiration dates like smoke and CO detectors, but that it is important to ensure the needle on the gauge still registers in the green area, which indicated the extinguisher is charged and potentially ready for use. He also said when purchasing an extinguisher for home use, you should look for one that indicated use for Class A, B and C-type fires.
More fire safety tips
Beecher said as we move into the winter season, homeowners – and renters – should adopt good habits when using space heaters.
“A space heater needs to be placed away from anything flammable,” he said. “There should be at least a three-foot safety radius when [the heater] is in use, and it should be on a stable surface like a floor, not on a desk or bureau. Also, the heater should be unplugged when not in use.”
When snow starts piling up, it’s also important to make sure the vent on your dryer is kept clear.
“If it’s not clear you will get a buildup of carbon monoxide in the home,” Beecher said.
And should that CO detector – or any detector in your home – go off at any time, call the Fire Department immediately to have them come and “determine if there is a hazardous situation in your home,” Beecher said
Moreover, every family should also have a fire safety plan for their home in the event those detectors do go off, Beecher added.
“Everybody should have an escape plan,” he said. “It’s basically a fire drill for your home. You should have working detectors and you should know two ways out of every room, and if one of those is a window [on a second floor] a safety ladder is the best way to escape a home safely.”