How old is your alarm? You know the drill: When we change from daylight savings to standard time (and again in the spring when we change back again), it's a good idea to replace batteries in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. A couple of weeks ago, when we made the most recent change, a friend of mine sent me a press release from the Consumer Product Safety Commission with this advice: Every now and then the alarms need replacing too. The CPSC notes that alarm sensors may degrade and lose effectiveness over time, so it's a good idea to replace smoke alarms every ten years and carbon monoxide alarms every five years. In an e-mail, my friend wrote: "I never realized you were supposed to replace smoke/CO alarms eventually. Maybe because I've never lived in one place for more than five years. Seems like a no-brainer, but I only ever hear, 'replace the batteries.'" It's a no-brainer, but not necessarily the most obvious no-brainer. Please share this safety tip with friends and family - especially those who are elderly and might need help installing new alarms. Sources:
"When Changing Clocks Back to Standard Time, Check Batteries and Age of Alarms - CPSC Recommends Replacing Older Alarm" NEWS from U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Office of Information and Public Affairs, 11/2/07, cpsc.gov | 
