Getting close to burning season so make sure you.......

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Very good message Scotty... As time permits the winter prepping is in progress...checking everything out and getting ready. I am always amazed at how I have to remind people to do the simple things...like check your anti freeze.
 
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Hard wired here ( town regs with an accessory apt). They got a test the other night from frying bacon, also :mad:

Check your clearances to dried out flower arrangements, doggie beds, etc ( I know, youse guys, I know !!).

Great thread !!!!
 
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Being the first year burning for me, I really appreciated the reminder. Fire extinguishers are good, smoke detectors good, CO detectors not functioning properly. So glad you started this thread Scotty. Having been in the industry, I have access to testing equipment for the CO detectors and they weren't functioning as they should. Who knows, you may have just saved mine and my family's lives ;ex.
 
Totally awesome thread. Thanks for the friendly reminders I always do this on the 1st of January with fresh batteries for every detector everywhere but I'm also going to make this a regular routine to check things and to clean things just before burning the first fire of every season.

I have a combination of smoke alarms with hard wiring and battery backup and then also smoke alarms running on regular battery power only for areas where wiring wasn't feasible. Every bedroom has a hardwired smoke alarm. Every level has a hardwired combination for carbon monoxide and smoke. And in areas where I would have any gas appliance I added alarms that plug to an outlet and then also have battery backup for smoke/Carbon Monoxide/Explosive Gas. I even added additional battery only ones above the alcove I created for my stove but within the central chase where the chimney runs just in case it ever allowed any excess smoke out of it. That's one area where I wouldn't know anything was wrong for a few minutes or more of fire.

As someone already stated, sensors have a limited lifespan which will vary typically by type (it isn't always 10 years, I've seen 7 and even 5 especially for combination alarms). Also as someone already stated everyone should make sure they have plenty of extinguishers and also that they know how to use them. Remember PASS: Pull the pin to the extinguisher, Aim the extinguisher at the base of the fire, Squeeze the trigger to release the retardant, and Sweep the retardant side to side at the base of the fire to extinguish it. Lastly from time to time at least annually "maintain" your powder type extinguishers by tapping them at the bottom base while holding them upside down with something soft like a rubber mallet. This will help to avoid the powder possibly "molding" into itself. This doesn't apply to liquid types.

Again an awesome thread, this is one of those where we should all sort of mention this to friends and family outside of hearth and help them too.
 
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Totally awesome thread. Thanks for the friendly reminders I always do this on the 1st of January with fresh batteries for every detector everywhere but I'm also going to make this a regular routine to check things and to clean things just before burning the first fire of every season.

I have a combination of smoke alarms with hard wiring and battery backup and then also smoke alarms running on regular battery power only for areas where wiring wasn't feasible. Every bedroom has a hardwired smoke alarm. Every level has a hardwired combination for carbon monoxide and smoke. And in areas where I would have any gas appliance I added alarms that plug to an outlet and then also have battery backup for smoke/Carbon Monoxide/Explosive Gas. I even added additional battery only ones above the alcove I created for my stove but within the central chase where the chimney runs just in case it ever allowed any excess smoke out of it. That's one area where I wouldn't know anything was wrong for a few minutes or more of fire.

As someone already stated, sensors have a limited lifespan which will vary typically by type (it isn't always 10 years, I've seen 7 and even 5 especially for combination alarms). Also as someone already stated everyone should make sure they have plenty of extinguishers and also that they know how to use them. Remember PASS: Pull the pin to the extinguisher, Aim the extinguisher at the base of the fire, Squeeze the trigger to release the retardant, and Sweep the retardant side to side at the base of the fire to extinguish it. Lastly from time to time at least annually "maintain" your powder type extinguishers by tapping them at the bottom base while holding them upside down with something soft like a rubber mallet. This will help to avoid the powder possibly "molding" into itself. This doesn't apply to liquid types.

Again an awesome thread, this is one of those where we should all sort of mention this to friends and family outside of hearth and help them too.

Smoke alarms almost always are 10 years.

The issue is with the combi units with CO and smoke detection . . . or stand alone CO detectors. CO detectors are good for anywhere between 3-7 years depending on the manufacturer.
 
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Great thread! I do have some work to do on the detectors, but I did sweep my chimney. Got about a cup of crap from the top of the flue. That was since I got the Progress last December. With the old smoke dragon, I'd get an entire bucket full twice a year!
 
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Today I am going to go to HD and get new smoke alarm because mine is way over 10 years. I am going to get couple fire extinguishers. I have a 5 year old stand-alone CO detector and I am going to get a new one. Thanks for the heads up.

I don’t want to be in the news.

Robert
 
Relevant I guess to this thread . . . not my best work since they called and I didn't do much prep . . . usually they edit a bit better to make me sound a lot more intelligent than I am in reality . . . not so much this time.

http://www.wabi.tv/news/33465/chimney-fire-prevention-tips

Well I thought it was a wonderful interview! Thanks to the advice to all those viewers you probably saved someone who you will never even ever meet and that is terrific. Much respect for who you are and for what you do.
 
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Relevant I guess to this thread . . . not my best work since they called and I didn't do much prep . . . usually they edit a bit better to make me sound a lot more intelligent than I am in reality . . . not so much this time.

http://www.wabi.tv/news/33465/chimney-fire-prevention-tips
Much better than I would have done Jake, one look at that anchor and my responses would have been, "Abuhhhhhh..."

I'm guessing the news is pretty popular in Bangor..... ;) :p
 
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Just finished replacing batteries, cleaning and testing all the smoke alarms and CO detectors. The cats are staggering around bug-eyed. They have no idea why I picked this morning to torture them ;) Thanks again for the reminder and the instructions - the match worked great, candle not so much. Just in time for the cold spell coming tomorrow. I did my seasoning fire already, have the stove loaded up and ready to go!
 
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Much better than I would have done Jake, one look at that anchor and my responses would have been, "Abuhhhhhh..."

I'm guessing the news is pretty popular in Bangor..... ;) :p

Only problem is they sent the other anchor . . . a short, bald-headed guy (which in some ways describes me.) ;)
 
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