Change your smoke detector batteries when you "Spring Forward" or "Fall Back"

It's a good habit to form. If you use battery-powered smoke detectors in your home or business, you should change the batteries this weekend as you turn your clocks forward or back when Daylight Saving Time starts and ends.

This Sunday, March 10, most of the U.S. goes from Standard Time to  Daylight Saving Time at 2:00 am. While you're changing your clocks, it's a great time to go ahead and change the batteries. No, there's nothing magical about doing these tasks at the same time - it's just an excellent way to link the tasks in your memory and avoid having a dead smoke detector. The last thing you want is to find out your batteries are dead by having a fire in your home or office and the detector fails to warn you!

It's recommended that the battery in every smoke detector be changed at least annually. If you didn't change them last fall when we moved to back to StandardTime, then you definitely want to do so this weekend.

By the way, most of us have mobile devices whose clocks change automatically when the time changes. The challenge we face is to remember all of the other clocks that need to be changed manually. Here's a few that we sometimes overlook:

• Microwave/oven clocks


• Coffeemaker clocks


• Programmable thermostat clocks


• Car radio clocks


• Alarm clocks


• Mantel clocks


• Wristwatches (yes, some folks still wear them!)

Do you have other tips? Add them in the comments section!