CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services sent out a reminder that daylight savings time is ending soon, which means it is a great time to pick up some batteries.
Daylight savings time begins in March and ends in November, according to the Department of Fire Services. So as you change your clocks in the spring and fall, check your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms as well.
These alarms are crucial home safety tools and should be installed on every level of your house and should be tested every month. It is important to put in fresh alkaline batteries if your alarms use them, and replace the alarms if they’re more than 10 years old. Replace carbon monoxide alarms after five to seven years, depending on the specific model.
When putting a new smoke alarm in, get a replacement with a sealed, long-life battery and a hush feature. Select photoelectric alarms from a well-known national brand, and look out for the mark of an independent testing lab such as UL or Intertek/ETL.
Working CO alarms are the only way to detect this invisible killer since we can not see, smell, or taste carbon monoxide. Check and test your CO alarms at the same time that you test and check your smoke alarms.
Check your alarms during this time of year, especially around the Halloween season, as a lot of parties tend to happen. So make sure that your alarms are all set, especially before daylight savings.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 providing local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Follow 22News on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
