The other day I was in lounging around my home doing some much needed blogging. I was in full concentration mode, ferociously typing away on the keys of my laptop — excited that I was getting so much accomplished. And then it happened. That dreaded chirping sound from the smoke alarm letting me know that it was time to change the battery.
I totally ignored it and kept on working. I thought, surely this thing will stop chirping in a minute or two. The chirping didn’t stop at all! It just kept going and going. Frustrated, I set my laptop aside, climbed in my chair, and yanked the battery out. We didn’t have any extra batteries so I made a mental note to pick one up that evening.
The only thing — I forgot.
A few days later, I was in the kitchen cooking a yummy pot of beans for my hubby. I put them on and then went to lay down and catch me a nap. I only intended on sleeping about 30 minutes, but two hours later I was awakened to the smell of something burning and ran to see what the problem was. The kitchen was full of smoke and my beans were burnt to a crisp. Things could have been SO much worse, especially since the smoke alarm would not have worked (thanks to my removing the battery.)
In a recent study by Kidde, homeowners admitted that while aggravated by “home annoyances” such as late-night, chirping smoke alarms, they don’t see this scenario as the potentially life-threatening safety risk it actually is. I know I did not — that was until I really needed that smoke alarm.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) statistics indicate that the primary reasons smoke alarms fail to operate in home structure fires is a missing/disconnected battery (50%) and dead/discharged battery (23%).
A chirping smoke alarm is more than just a “home annoyance” – it’s a sign that batteries need to be replaced to keep your family and whole house safe from potentially deadly fires.
This fall, Kidde is launching a line of Worry-Free Smoke Alarms, which offer a variety of benefits to the millions of Americans who rely on continuous battery-powered smoke and fire detection in their homes. The new alarms are powered by sealed-in, long-life lithium batteries for 10 years (the life of the alarm).
Kidde wants to make sure you are safe this holiday season
Kidde is giving away a two-pack Worry Free Smoke alarm set to one of our readers here at 5 Minutes for Mom. New to Rafflecopter? Watch this 45-second video on how to enter!
We are working with Kidde to help bring awareness of the dangers of removing batteries from smoke alarms and never replacing them. Thanks to Kidde and the new Worry Free Alarm, that never has to be an issue again.
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{ 55 comments… read them below or add one }
checked when school started
My sister just had a scare the other morning with her smoke alarm too. They aren’t sure what caused it, but it went off in the wee hours of the morning. Great reminder to keep an eye on our smoke alarms.
Stephanie recently posted..Is There Work From Home for Men?
It was a couple months ago
Not a good answer, but I don’t remember. I will do it this weekend.
Checked all of them last week:)
We change the batteries in our smoke and Carbon monoxide alarms when the clocks go back and forward in the spring and fall.
Jill Robson recently posted..If you are waiting for the right time……
I checked them last month!
We actually checked them last night.
I have not checked them this year
A year ago August! Thanks for the reminder.
bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com
I Checked About A Month Ago !:)
checked them a few months ago. We need to do it again. Thanks for the reminder.
I work for a non-profit firefighter newsletter and you would be amazed at how many fires there are daily that could easily be avoidable, and how many times the people didn’t have working fire detectors. I cannot stress enough how awesome this giveaway is! Thank you so much for doing this! -Leslie
Sorry, forgot…we check weekly!!
I believe my husband checked our alarms when the time change. But I’d better be sure!
Barbie recently posted..Stay Here With Me
I checked them when the clock went back and replaced the batteries
The last time I checked mine was a few months ago. I think it is so important to have working smoking alarms.
We check ours when we change our clocks (Autumn/Spring)
I cannot remember
I relpaced the battery about a week ago.
I checked when the clocks changed.
During the fall.
We checked them when we moved in at the beginning of May, just had to replace a battery in two about a month ago.
We checked near the beginning of the month, when the time changed!
We just changed ours two says ago, woke up to a chirping detector 45 min before alarm.
when we set the clocks back earlier this month
I last checked them when we set the clocks back.
We checked them last month.
Checked mine in July.
We check and change the batteries when we change our clocks. Twice a year.
no clue. we did put some long life 9 volts in them, but haven’t checked them in a couple years, at least…whoops
Idaho Jill recently posted..Ask to Win Sweepstakes! ends 1/12/13
I would say about 6 months ago
last week and changed the battery
Just checked them when we had to set the clocks back.
Sometime this summer, I think. One of them started beeping to let us know the batteries needed to be changed, so we did the other as well.
Hmmm, I think it’s been over a year.
Jan Messali recently posted..Cozy Earth Bamboo Comforter Giveaway, 12/12, ($320 ARV)
We checked them 2 weeks ago.
We replace them every January.
It’s been a while but will check them now!
more than a yr. I need a new one plus have no carbon monoxide alarm either.. or radon… this would be a blessing!
Cathy b*****y pbprojecthope atyahoo dot com
When we set the clocks back
We just checked all of ours recently.
We just put in a new one downstairs about 2 months ago.
This is on my list to “deal with” — since even changing the batteries has not stopped our annoying beeping.
i checked mine a few months ago
I checked them when I moved in in May. I need to check them again!
Angie recently posted..The holidays are fast approaching!
I don’t remember… it’s been months at least.
Last checked a little over 6 months ago.
Thanks for the giveaway!
OH GEEZ, IT SEEMS LIKE A DECADE AGO. I THINK I’LL GET RIGHT ON THAT TODAY =) THANKS FOR THE CHANE!
The chirp happens at our house while taking a shower, I always have to remember to turn on the overhead fan first.
We just checked all of ours during fall back with the clocks.
Batteries are on my shopping list for tomorrow to update all of the alarms in our house.
I went around and checked them all about three weeks ago.
Just did when we had the fall back time change.
Thank you!!!! Have a wonderful evening!!!