Change Those Batteries!

Tonight is the night! Not just for trick-or-treating, but for setting your clocks back! And of course, the most important, yet least enjoyable, part of that routine is changing out the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.

A quick battery change will keep your detectors working and could save your life.

According to an article on the Eden Prairie News website, 75 percent of residential fire-related deaths in Minnesota occurred in homes without working smoke detectors. Nationwide 96 percent of homes have smoke alarms, but a third of them either have a dead battery or no battery at all. This results in many needless deaths each year, often of children or elderly.

If by chance your home doesn’t have any smoke detectors, not enough, or you think yours may be getting a bit too old, you can pick up a new one from just about any hardware or mass-retail store. Fancy or inexpensive, they all must meet certain guidelines so you will know you are protected.

Don't get trapped inside a fire in your home. Keep your smoke detectors working so you can get out quick!

The frugal-minded among us may think that the batteries are still good, so why change them…but this can be a deadly decision. If you really want to get the last of the power from the batteries, find some other household use for them; perhaps an alarm clock back-up or a child’s toy.

Be sure to check your smoke detector once the new battery is in to make sure it’s working correctly, and then keep checking it on a regular basis. Soon enough it will be spring and time to change them again!

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If you would like help buying or selling a home in Eden Prairie, Chanhassen, Minnetonka, Chaska, or Bloomington, contact me, Brace Helgeson, by email or at 952-974-3466. Start your online search here!