Sorry, folks. We’re losing an hour of time this weekend whether we like it or not.
When you’re running around the house changing the time on your clocks (don’t forget the coffee pot!), there’s one other important task you should do at the same time.
Change the batteries in all your smoke alarms.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, dead batteries caused one-quarter of smoke alarm failures in house fires between 2009 and 2013.
What’s more, the association says, the death rate from fires in homes without working smoke alarms is more than twice that of house fires where working smoke alarms were present.
The association recommends people change their smoke alarm batteries every six months and replace the entire unit after 10 years.
If you stick to the suggested battery-replacement schedule, chances are the existing batteries will still have some juice left in them.