Tag Archives: alarms

General Safety Issues

KEEPING YOUR HOME SAFE WITH KIDS (GUEST POST)

Having kids in the house makes it critically important to have good home safety measure in place. Besides needing good protection on account of being young and defenseless, kids can also pose a security risk by accidentally providing information about your home, your schedule, or your possessions.

Managing Kid-Related Risks

If you’re a family where both parents work, then not giving keys to your kids is obviously not an option because they’ll need to let themselves in after school. That doesn’t mean that you should give a house key to a child that’s too young to understand what is and isn’t safe to talk about in public, and might be prone to losing the key either on accident or through theft. Another thing to worry about is children accidentally leaving doors and windows unlocked, allowing easy entry to any would be burglars. The best way to deal with this is good old fashioned work. Before you leave for work and before you go to bed each night, go around your entire house and make sure that all points of entry are secure.

Keeping Valuables Safe

No matter what you do there is always the chance that someone will break into your house regardless of your efforts not to draw attention or make an obvious target out of it. Though you can’t very well lock up your TV, computer, or anything that’s supposed to be part of your décor, you can keep smaller valuables, important documents, weapons, and cash locked away in a safe. Unlike in the movies there is no need to hide your safe in a wall somewhere. Usually it’ll be bolted to the floor, and virtually impossible to break open quickly, which is all you need since normal burglars will be in a hurry and will snatch whatever is easy to grab and run with.

Alarms

Home alarm systems are effective not because they do much to catch criminals, but because they scare criminals into leaving your home as quickly as possible to avoid being apprehended. This helps you to protect yourself, your family, and your possessions, and helps to make you aware of forced entry if you were sleeping or not present inside the home at the time. Though they won’t stop someone who’s determined and ready for it, they make excellent deterrents for your average burglar.

Getting a Safe Room

If you’re dealing with someone who isn’t deterred by your home alarm you’ll want to have a place that you can retreat to. Confronting a potentially violent criminal in your home is not ever a good idea, regardless of what the NRA might want you to believe. The best way to deal with a situation like that is to get behind a locked door as quickly as possible and to wait until the authorities arrive. Building a basic safe room isn’t particularly difficult or expensive, simply install a heavy duty door and door frame on a large walk-in closet, or any room that doesn’t have windows and make sure that you have access to your phone.

Ben Thatcher is a DIY home security guy who lives in Idaho on a ranch with his loving wife. He writes security tips and tutorials for Protect America, a security systems provider.

General Safety Issues

A FEW PRACTICAL TIPS FOR IMPROVING SAFETY AND SECURITY AROUND YOUR HOME (GUEST POST)

 In this day and age, improving the safety and security around your home is something in which I encourage all homeowners to consider investing in. After all, your home is where you live, where you raise your family. It contains expensive electronics, jewelry and other valuables like financial records that could lead to identity theft in the wrong hands. Therefore it is important to protect your property both indoors and out as well as secure your family’s peace of mind.

Consider installing security cameras

One easy way to improve the safety of your home is by installing security cameras. When installing surveillance cameras as part of a security system you can typically expect to earn a break in your insurance and can expect the system to pay for itself in a short amount of time and is ultimately a lot less expensive than having your home burglarized.

Home security cameras are often installed above the main entrance point. This is a great way to keep aware of who is coming and going from your home even if you are not present. Moreover, some security systems allow you to unlock a locked front door from a remote location. This is an extremely helpful way to let your kids in the house when they lose their key while you’re at work.
Also, be aware that you can also set up your own remote home monitoring system without the expensive dedicated setup and save some additional money. However, I’m not sure if this approach would qualify you for any discount on your homeowners insurance.

Take your landscaping into consideration

Burglars are always looking for an “easy mark,” and when they pick a home to burglarize it’s rarely, if ever done at random. One of the first things a burglar does is scope out the neighborhood. The last thing a burglar wants to deal with is a nosy neighbor and one of the main things they look for is a home with the least visibility from the street.
Burglars can get exceptional cover from tall privacy fences; break into your home without being caught by using tall trees and unkempt shrubbery that conceals windows. They look for things like un-mowed lawns that could indicated the homeowner is away from home a lot or kids toys left on the lawn because kids in most instances means a mom lives there which means there’s a good chance there’s jewelry inside.

Improve the lighting in your yard

One of the most important steps to take when making your home more secure is by installing adequate lighting outside your house. These lights can be solar-powered which prevents you from having to replace batteries, times so that they come on as the sun goes down and go off as the sun rises or they could be motion sensitive lights that are triggered when motion is detected in the lights “protection zone”.

Choosing the type of security lights to install is largely a matter of your own personal preference and not every type of light will meet the needs of every homeowner. Nevertheless, since security lights do a very good job of highlighting someone’s approach, they can be powerful deterrents to anyone who wants to enter your home uninvited.

Secure your front door

Although many homeowners may be unaware of this fact, one of the main entry points for burglars is through the front door. This is because homeowners often times neglect to replace a worn out and brittle door. Therefore, the burglars can sometimes break the door and gain entrance with little or no real effort.

About the author

Alex Goodwin is a writer, husband, father and aspiring novelist. When he isn’t writing for HomeDaddys or completing chores from his “honey- do” list, he’s most likely spending quality time with his wife and kids or working on his novel.

General Safety Issues

STOP EXPENSES FROM LEAKING AWAY (GUEST POST)

 Sent by Dan Oztunc 

As recent extreme weather events have once again demonstrated, water, our most treasured resource, can also be a source of wide spread and costly damage to society. This is not just applicable to structural deterioration and loss of infrastructure induced by flooding, but more commonly with technological issues where even the smallest amount of water leaking into an electric circuit can result in a complete shutdown of the system. With such extensive use of electronics in business, communications and heavy industries, the risk of economic loss by water leaks is higher than ever. 

Fortunately, it is possible for businesses to protect themselves against such difficulties by installing water leak detection systems and alarms, whereby specialist water detecting equipment is fitted in susceptible zones and connected to audible or visual alerts to incite an immediate response. Where necessary, the leak detector can be remotely connected to a water valve shut off system whereby the water supply is cut off on instant discovery of a leak with no need for human intervention. 

Areas of risk include, but are not limited to, water pipes, air conditioning units and drip trays, office tea rooms, wet rooms, under floor water services and water tanks which could overflow. The types of detector equipment available will vary according to the area being monitored and can be mains or battery powered. For example, a spot probe will optically detect changes in water levels in drip trays or detect changes in sound or vibrations from the appearance of unexpected moisture. Alternatively, detection cable can be laid out to cover larger areas and detects leaks in any direction as soon as water comes into contact with it. Advantageously, the wire can be easily wiped off to swiftly reset the detector. 

The alerting systems can range from a simple buzzer and lamp to discreet wall mounted alarms with bright LED outputs which allow for distant visibility and in recent years an SMS alerting service transmits the alarm directly to the individual. So now, by applying a simple preventative measure, there is no reason to allow finances to flow away into unnecessary repair costs.

This article was written by Emily Banham on behalf of CMR Electrical, design and manufacturers of water leak detection equipment and much more. More information can be found on the following link – http://www.cmrelectrical.com/water-leak-detection.htm

General Safety Issues

UNDERSTANDING THE RISK OF CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING

Along with winter weather come many invisible dangers, one of them being the threat of carbon monoxide poisoning.  People may try to heat their homes by leaving ovens open or heating appliances on, unaware of the risk that this invisible, toxic gas can cause.  You can’t see, taste, or smell the deadly fumes that can kill you before you are even aware it is in your home.  CO gas can come from several sources: charcoal grills, wood-burning fireplaces, gas-fired appliances, fireplaces and motor vehicles. 

Recently, five teens were found dead in a motel room they had rented to celebrate one of the teens’ 19th birthday.  There were no drugs, alcohol or suspicious items found in the room, according to law enforcement.  But, they had left their car running in a garage underneath the room.  Friends reported that earlier the car had needed a jump-start, and they probably left it running to preserve the battery’s charge.  A door leading to a staircase up to the room had been left open; high levels of CO gas were found inside. 

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, each year in America, unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning claims more than 400 lives and sends another 20,000 people to hospital emergency rooms for treatment.  Around 4,000 of those persons are sick enough to be hospitalized.  Symptoms of CO poisoning are headaches, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion, as stated by the American College of Emergency Physicians.  They report that symptoms could imitate other illnesses, making it hard to recognize CO poisoning.  Persons living or working together that get these symptoms simultaneously over a short period of time may mistakenly think they have flu.  Everyone is at risk for CO poisoning.  Experts believe that unborn babies, infants, children, senior citizens and persons with heart or lung problems are at even greater risk for CO poisoning.  

The United States Fire Administration and National Association of Home Builders want you to know that there are simple steps you can take to protect yourself from deadly carbon monoxide fumes: 

  • Install at least one carbon monoxide alarm with an audible warning signal near sleeping areas and outside individual bedrooms.  Purchase an alarm that has been evaluated by a recognized laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL.)
  • Never use the range or oven to heat the home, or a charcoal grill or hibachi in your home or garage.
  • Do not use portable flameless chemical (catalytic) heaters in your home.
  • Never use generators in your home, basement or garage, or near windows, doors or vents.
  • Never leave a car running in a garage.  Even with open doors, normal circulation will not provide enough fresh air to prevent a dangerous build up of CO.
  • Have a qualified professional check all fuel burning appliances, hot water heaters,  furnaces, vent and chimney systems at least once a year.
  • When purchasing an existing home, have a qualified technician evaluate the heating and cooking systems, as well as sealed spaces between the garage and house.   

In addition, the USFA and NAHB pass on these valuable instructions on what to do if your carbon monoxide alarm goes off: 

  1. Silence the alarm.
  2. Turn off all appliances and sources of combustion, (i.e. furnace and fireplace).
  3. Ventilate the house with fresh air by opening doors and windows.
  4. Call a qualified professional to investigate the source of possible CO buildup.

(The above instructions are applicable if no one is feeling ill.) 

If illness is a factor:

  1. Evacuate all occupants (including animals) immediately.
  2. Determine how many occupants are ill and establish their symptoms.
  3. Call your local emergency number and include the number of people feeling ill to the dispatcher.
  4. Do not re-enter the home without the approval of a fire department representative.
  5. Call a qualified professional to repair the source of the CO.   

If your carbon monoxide alarm goes off, it is very possible that you may not be experiencing symptoms when you hear the alarm; this does not mean that CO is not present!  Remember, having a carbon monoxide alarm in your home can save your life in the event of CO buildup! 

CO builds up quickly when a car or vehicle is running in a closed garage.  If you drive a vehicle with a tailgate, when you open the tailgate, open windows or vents to be sure air is moving through the vehicle.  If only the tailgate is open, CO from the exhaust will be pulled into the vehicle.  This important  information is from the Centers for Disease Control. 

With all these different agencies looking out for our safety, it seems it would only take a small amount of time and effort to follow their advice to purchase and install these carbon monoxide detectors.  It’s  a small price to pay that could result in such a rich reward if it saves the lives of those you love.

General Safety Issues, Home Safety Products

FALL MAINTENANCE TIPS FOR YOUR HOME

It’s a good idea to get in the habit of regular maintenance of your home each season of the year.  By checking things out ahead of time, you could save money by avoiding costly repairs.  Our houses don’t take care of themselves; it’s up to us to do it.  Some locations need more preventative measures than others; those who live in colder climates may be required to think of some things that we in warmer regions don’t have to do.  Regardless of where we live, it’s important to do these things to ensure the safety of our families.  Here are some ideas:

  • Check all window and door locks for proper operation; all exterior doors should have deadbolt locks.
  • Make sure there are working nightlights at the top and bottom of all stairs; don’t leave items on the stairs.
  • Have a professional check your heating system every year.
  • Check your home for water leaks.
  • Make sure that the caulking around your bathroom fixtures is adequate to prevent water from seeping into the sub-flooring.
  • Wrap pipes for insulation from freezing.
  • Replace your furnace filter once yearly.
  • Run all gas-powered lawn equipment until the fuel is gone.
  • Put away garden hose and other yard equipment.
  • Test your emergency generator.
  • Have a certified chimney sweep inspect and clean the flues and check your fireplace damper.
  • Remove bird nests from chimney flues and outdoor electrical fixtures.
  • Inspect and clean dust from the covers of your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and check batteries.
  • Have a fire escape plan for your family.
  • Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen.
  • Consider hiring a professional to do any inspections, etc. on your roof
  • Make sure the caulking around doors and windows is adequate to reduce heat/cooling loss.
  • Winterize boats and recreational vehicles before storing them.

You may want to make a checklist to use each season, and add to it as you think of something we may have missed.  Have your home ready for a warm, cozy fall and winter. 

 

Source: State Farm Insurance