Change Your Clocks, Change Your Batteries

What difference can five minutes and a couple of bucks make?

The difference between life and death. The U.S. Fire Administration, a division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, reports that 3,500 people die and more than 18,000 are injured in fires each year.

If you forgot to change your batteries in your smoke detectors when you changed the time on your clocks Saturday night, it's all right. Do it today. Spend a few dollars on new batteries and a few minutes up on the ladder for some peace of mind.

Tim Golay said that, in a house fire, smoke will more often get you before the fire.

"Smoke will put you to sleep," he said. "And that's it. You're done."

Smoke is much more dangerous than it was 50 years ago, Golay explained. The introduction of plastics and chemicals into home products -- from wood finishes to insulation to fabrics to carpets -- makes smoke a toxic nightmare.

Some of the things you could be inhaling in a house fire? Arsenic, cyanide, formaldehyde, and phosgene gas, Golay said.

If your smoke detector was installed before March of 2001, the USFA says it should be replaced. Smoke detectors need to be on every floor of home and outside sleeping areas. The ideal space is a ceiling, 12 inches from a wall.

There are two kinds of smoke detectors on the market now, Golay said. Ionization smoke detectors sound the alarm more quickly for fast-moving fires with lots of flame. Photoelectric smoke detectors more quickly detect smoldering, slow-burning fires.

"There's a big, huge debate about it right now," he said.

Which one is best? Whichever one you install in your house, Golay said. Any smoke detector is better than none.

Golay reminds residents not to forget changing the battery on your carbon monoxide detctor, too.

How do you know if carbon monoxide is a problem in your house? There are clues, Golay said. Here are some he gave:

• Persistent flu-like systems such as headache, red eyes, fatigue and nausea.
• Pets become lethargic.
• Look in the corners of a room, up near the ceiling. A grayish band near where the walls and ceiling meet is a sign of carbon monoxide buildup.
• Windows sweating more than normal.

People often put carbon monoxide into their home without realizing it, Golay said. They do it by warming up their car in the garage. The carbon monoxide in the exhaust will find its way into the house, he said. Start your car, drive it out of the garage, and close the garage door to keep the exhaust from building up in the garage, he said.