While setting clocks back one hour this weekend from Daylight Saving Time to Standard Time, fire officials say it's also the perfect opportunity to check your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
J.C. Fultz of the Illinois State Fire Marshal's Office said in addition to checking the batteries, you should also see if it's time to replace the devices themselves.
It’s best to check the alarms monthly, he said, but most people don’t. That’s why fire officials remind people to check those devices when the clocks change.
Fultz said the devices usually last for about 10 years, so it’s important to check the expiration date too.
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Why do we change our clocks, anyway? Daylight Saving Time was instituted in the U.S. during World War I in order to save energy for war production by taking advantage of the later hours of daylight between April and October. The passage of the Energy Policy Act in 2005 extended Daylight Saving Time by four weeks – from the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November.
Only two states, Hawaii and Arizona, do not participate in Daylight Saving Time.
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