The Elmhurst Fire Department reminds residents that when you change your clocks for the start of daylight savings time on Sunday, March 12th, it’s also a great opportunity to change the batteries in your home smoke detectors and to consider if it is time to recycle and replace old smoke detectors.

The Change Your Clocks/Change Your Batteries campaign promotes changing all household smoke detector batteries twice a year in order to raise awareness of the importance of properly working detectors. This goes along with well-documented research which proves that working smoke detectors save lives.

The Elmhurst Fire Department offers the following tips to ensure that the smoke alarms in your home are maintained and working properly.

• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on each level of your home.
• Test smoke alarms at least once a month using the test button, and make sure everyone in your home knows their sound.
• If an alarm “chirps,” to alert you of a low battery level, replace it immediately.
• Reminder: Electric wired smoke detectors have battery back-ups.
• Compressed air can be used to blow out detectors and reduce the chance of false alarms.
• Smoke detectors have a life span of 10 years and should be replaced after that period.

Smoke detectors have a life span of 10 years, but need to be disposed of properly. Many smoke detectors are ionized and contain a small amount of radioactive materials that must be kept out of household hazard waste sites. The back of a smoke detector will have an expiration date as well as a warning about the ionized material. Old smoke detectors can be dropped off for recycling at City Hall and Fire Stations 1 & 2.

Residents with questions and/or concerns about updated smoke alarm requirements should contact the Elmhurst Fire Department at (630) 530-3090, or visit www.elmhurst.org.