Dear South Australians… Getting readyfor winter??

Well before the winter kicks in… you may have noticed during your shopping, lots of winter clothing and other gearhave already arrived to protect us from freezing weather. This is very good as we are well advanced in knowing the weather forecasts and act accordingly.

You will also find colourful fan heaters, column heaters, blanket heaters and many more heating appliances.

Most of us buy some of these items on a yearly basis during the season because it’s either very cheap or looks attractive and handy to keep one close to us at home.

During freezing weather, we will turn on the these heaters in every room, rug up and go to deep sleep.

Fan Heaters may suck dust from the carpet or pet hairs from the surface of the floor and catch fire. Also Column heaters will draw lots of power from your power point which may be very old and lead to a fire hazard which could ends up in a nasty disaster .

Who will alert us during this unpredicted fire emergencies??
Our Smoke Alarms!!!!

Can we have a look at them now to keep them healthy and alert?

Follow these easy tips to check your smoke alarm working condition

Caution: If you are elderly or Have medical conditions please don’t do this, take help from others 

1.    Replace the Battery of the Smoke Alarm once a year Irrespective of Manufacturers Exp date on the battery

2.    Check for the dark GREEN light on the front of the Unit  which Indicates that, the unit is connected to 240V AC mains power and working 

3.    PRESS and HOLD the TEST button on the front of the unit for FIVE seconds 
You should hear a very high frequency “BEEP” Three times (“BEEP”…. “BEEP”…. “BEEP”)
RELEASE the test button
Note: Some units still beeps for some time even after the test. You can stop it by gently pressing the HUSH button 

Now your smoke alarm has PASSED the test and is ready to alert you during emergencies 

If above test fails?  Call your Electrical contractor to fix it
Don’t Install or replace your smoke alarm by yourself unless you are qualified to do so
It is not a DIY job!  Don’t risk it 
Make sure Installer must issue a Certificate of compliance on completion of Installation

Things to remember

1.    If your smoke alarm BEEPS once or twice a day and gradually increasing the frequency of BEEP to every minute?  It is a sign of weak battery 
Don’t panic or get frustrated and proceed to pull the front cover 
Just simply replace the battery and follow the test procedure above
2.    The Smoke alarm must be hard wired to a permanent 240Volt AC power source. Also the unit must have a battery backed up. It is a legal requirement
3.    The Smoke alarm should be replaced every 10years. Which is the average life span of the unit 
4.    Don’t buy a cheap smoke alarm from your local hardware shop. Buy a reputed brand from an Electrical wholesaler or the best option is from your Electrical contractor 

Please be safe andKeep your smoke alarm healthy. An Active smoke alarm will protect you and your loved ones from danger

Prepare a checklist for this winter, keep the smoke alarm testing is a high priority along with your warm clothing and Heaters to keep you warm and safe

Tips for using heaters and staying comfortable

1.    Use gas or ducted heating. These are safe and more efficient than using fan heaters and column heaters
2.    Turn on your Heating Two hours prior to your sleep and set the timer to turn off  Heating onceyou go to sleep
3.    Keep your gas heating  serviced regularly and monitor the flu gas and others parameters 
4.    Use wool or Thermal Blankets Instead of using Blanket heater