Each spring many people throughout south-eastern Wisconsin make plans to update and remodel things around the house. At Frydach Insurance, we’ve seen many homeowners getting to work as soon as the snow melts and the temperatures start to rise. But, no matter how many flowerbeds you clean out or rooms you paint, nothing is more important than protecting your family. For that reason, we’ve created a list of simple upgrades you should consider this spring to ensure your family is safe.
Install New Fire Alarms
Our first step is arguably the most important. Inspect or Install new smoke and fire alarms throughout your home.
- Check the functionality of your system every month, and replace the batteries at least once every year
- Check to be sure your existing alarms are not part of the recent Kidde smoke alarm recall.
- Replace smoke alarms that are older than ten years old.
- Consider upgrading to a connected system. Connected fire alarms work to alert you to smoke or heat present in any area of your home – if one alarm detects it, it reacts, so all do. This gives you more time to react. We recommend this upgrade – as well as any smart home technology link you decide to invest in. Some will send messages to your phone about risks as well.
Install CO2 Alarms
Another type of alarm system you should have in your home is a CO2 alarm. It’s surprising how many homes don’t have these already in place.
Carbon monoxide is a dangerous gas that comes from the exhaust on your gas burning appliances such as your fireplace, water heater, dryer, and furnace. You cannot see or smell it. If it is present, it can create flu-like symptoms and, in some cases, lead to death. Take a few minutes to read more about it at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website. Then, install CO alarms throughout your home. You also may wish to conduct some home inspection work to ensure all of your systems are properly vented to avoid the build-up of carbon monoxide in your home.
Replace and Upgrade Fire Extinguishers
Homes should have at least one, if not many fire extinguishers. It is equally important to know where they are and to know how to use them.
To begin with, you should check any existing fire extinguishers to be sure they are not included in the recent Kidde fire extinguisher recall.
When shopping for new fire extinguishers, use OSHA’s guide to buying a fire extinguisher to help you decide which one is best for your application. Most often, you will need a Class ABC version that handles paper, plastics, rubbish, electrical, and light chemicals like paint or gasoline fires. And as we mentioned earlier, learn how to use them. To do that, visit OSHA.gov.
All of these steps are critical to creating a safe home or workplace. They help to protect you and your family from some of the most worrisome risks out there.
Finally, when you consider that not all fires can be prevented, it is very important to protect your family or business from financial ruin as well. That can be accomplished with a comprehensive property insurance policy. Give us a call to learn more about how Frydach Insurance can help.
