Take special precautions to keep your home safe and secure by providing and caring for carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers.
Hardware and appliance stores carry many different kinds of carbon monoxide detectors. If you buy any that are hard wired, make sure they have a battery back up. Buy one for every level of your house and install them within twenty feet of the furnace, chimney, water heater, or stove. You also need to maintain carbon monoxide detectors once a month. You will see a test button on the front of the unit; push it to check the battery. Also, test the hard wire units to see if they are plugged in or if the circuit breaker is turned off. After testing them, take a shop vacuum and clean the outside to remove dust or lint.
Many people who buy fire extinguishers don't know how to use them. Once a fire starts, you need to put it out as soon as possible. You don't have time to read the directions on a new extinguisher that hasn't been used. Most people start panicking because of the danger involved in a fire. Then when they use the extinguisher, they find a lot more pressure coming out of it than what they expected.
Buy at least three fire extinguishers, one for grease fires, one for wood and paper fires, and the last for electrical fires. You should get a spare and take your family outside to practice with it. Be sure to let everyone in your family hold and spray with it so they don't lose control if a real fire starts when they are alone in the house. Tell your family to remember the word "pass." "Pull" the pin, "Aim" at the base of the fire, "Squeeze" the handle or trigger, and "Sweep" side to side. That is an easy way to remember how to work a fire extinguisher. After you spray a fire, you will need to clean it up as soon as possible. Don't get rid of the container until it is completely empty. Then call the fire department and ask how to dispose of an empty fire extinguisher. Keep the nozzle clean and free of cobwebs and spiders by using a shop vacuum to suck up debris. Store the unit in a safe, out-of-the-way area where it can be easily found but not readily bothered by children or pets.
A few cost-effective steps like these can help you feel more secure about your family's safety, so pick up your new equipment at the local hardware store today.
