Our local firefighters were recently replacing batteries in our smoke alarms; we appreciate that! However, many of us discovered that our smoke alarm units are expiring, not just the battery. Soon, your ten-year-old smoke detector will begin that annoying chirp at 2 a.m. despite the brand new $4.49 Eveready. 

 

Things to know: All of our alarms are hard-wired, in sequence, to our homes per Code. Why? When one goes off, they ALL go off, meaning if the one in your garage goes off in the middle of the night, you may not hear it, but you most certainly will notice the one directly above your bed. The lesson: Do not be tempted to replace your Hard-Wired detector with a less expensive ‘Battery Only’ device. Very important: The fire chief has informed us that code now requires a 10-year Sealed battery in all household smoke detectors. They will not install a Non-Sealed, read your packaging. A couple of other things: Carbon monoxide detectors are required within 15 feet of every sleeping area, namely your bed; a combination Smoke/CO2 unit is a good option here. Of note: Wireless models are available; however, our local fire chief does NOT recommend them, as they have not been perfected; when there is an interruption in internet service, it may cause all your alarms to go off. (Not Comcast, surely!). 

 

Thanks for the information; now, how about some shopping tips for all the thrifty folk here in our Grove.

 

A little comparison shows Lowe's website listing The BRK First Alert-SC9120LBL Hard Wired Smoke & CO2 Alarm -10-year Sealed battery for $64.98, Ace for $49.99; Amazon has the same model for $44.75; further research discovered the exact same model at – www.wholesalehome.com that lists this model for $39.99 each. The 10-year battery backup Smoke ‘only’ unit retails for about $22.00 at both Lowes and Wholesalehome.com.

 

Of course, our local Girard Ace and Big Box stores carry similar detectors, and various brands are available. It has been discovered that many of these devices may be hard to find locally, but there are plenty available to order online, delivered to your door, or to your favorite local retailer. 

 

This article is intended only for comparison and to bring awareness to the age of our smoke-detecting devices and the variety of choices when considering replacement. And YES, indeed! Those cute Firemen will gladly do the

 installation at no charge.

 

FYI, these great folks will be having a Community Day on October 28th. The Bourbonnais Fire Protection District is celebrating 75 Years of serving the greater Bourbonnais area. They are planning a pancake breakfast, food trucks for lunch, demonstrations, trunk or treat for the kids, face painting, vendors, and more.