Summer is a wonderful time — if your home is ready for it. So enjoy the last few weeks of cooler weather, but do a little preventative maintenance while you’re at it. You’ll fix small problems before they become big, and big ones before they become catastrophes. Here are 10 tips to help:

1. Look up. Examine your roof closely. Moss should be removed and debris cleared from gutters and downspouts. Repairing damage is crucial before summer monsoon weather is in full swing.
2. Look down. Check for signs of animals and insects around your home and garage, including the basement and crawlspace. If you need help getting unwanted guests out, don’t hesitate to bring in a professional.
3. Keep things cool. Air-conditioned air escapes through leaks around windows and doors, so seal up any drafty areas.
4. Keep things dry. Drain outdoor hoses, faucets and irrigation systems. Look in the basement and crawlspace for wet spots. And make sure your water heater or boiler aren’t leaking. Mosquitos love stagnant water, get rid of it!
5. Clear the air (or vents and filters, at least). When’s the last time you checked your dryer vent? You should take a look at attic vents and exhaust ducts as well. And change that air filter, too! (P.S. Don’t forget Smoke Alarm Medic offers cleaning and maintenance service for your dryer and exhaust vents, contact us today!)
6. Take a walk. Cracks in your driveway or walkways will only get bigger, so get them fixed soon. If your deck has signs of wear, make repairs while the weather is still good.
7. Get a tune-up. You or a professional should clean and tune your air conditioner and/or water heater, as well as your oven and range.
8. Don’t play with fire extinguishers, either. But check them to ensure they still have pressure. Don’t have fire extinguishers? Put them on your shopping list, ideally one for each floor.
9. Don’t forget those smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors. Replace batteries when needed, and test regularly that alarms are working. Smoke Alarm Medic has an annual fire safety plan just for you!

Part of our job as firefighters is to educate the public on fire safety awareness and prevention. We have found that people don’t always know what type of alarms they need in their home, or how long those alarms last. Since the last housing boom in the early 2000’s, many people are approaching fifteen years on their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms. They’re simply unaware that they go bad at the end of their useful life. That’s why we recommend to anyone to contact Smoke Alarm Medics today for a comprehensive fire safety inspection, they are Arizona’s most trusted home smoke alarm company.

Technology has made home alarms of all kinds — from security to smoke, radon to radiation — more accessible than ever. Many of them can be configured to work together, and some even alert you to trouble through your phone or other mobile device, so you can feel confident even when you’re out of the house.

So, what home sensors do you need? Only you can answer that question – it depends on what you’re comfortable with. For your peace of mind and safety, you may want to consider the following types of alarms for your home.

Start With the Basics

Whether you’re in a house, condo or apartment, smoke alarms and carbon-monoxide (CO) detectors are absolute musts. They can alert you and your family in the event of a fire or if deadly gas is building up in your home.

• Smoke alarms
  According to the National Fire Protection Association, you should install these inside every room where people sleep, with at least one on each level of your home. For maximum safety, use both ionization and photoelectric alarms, which respond to different types of fires, or a dual-sensor alarm, which will respond to both flaming and smoldering fires. You can choose from alarms that are hard-wired into your home’s power supply or ones that run on batteries. Be sure to test them regularly and replace the batteries twice a year when you set your clocks forward or back.

You also should consider smoke alarms that can be linked, so when one goes off, all of the alarms in the house sound. Other options include alarms with strobe lights (for the hearing impaired), voice commands instead of loud beeping (which may help wake children more easily) and even light for visibility in the dark.

• Carbon monoxide alarms
  Carbon monoxide is odorless — and deadly, killing about 400 people in the U.S. each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If your home has gas appliances or a wood-burning fireplace, you may be especially at risk. But, every home needs carbon monoxide detectors – on every level of your home and outside of sleeping areas.

There are battery-powered and plug-in CO alarms available, and some can be linked to smoke detectors as well. Be cautious about combination smoke-and-CO alarms, however, as the detection capabilities may be limited.

Then Consider Other Types of Home Detectors

Other alarms are more about your specific living circumstances and what will make you feel most safe. There are plenty of different products available, so consider your lifestyle, your location and other factors.

• Natural gas and propane: Natural-gas detectors typically provide an alarm for propane and CO leaks as well. They’re a good option for those with appliances powered by natural gas, or people who own RVs and trailers with large propane tanks.
• Water: These alert you to leaks from appliances or pipes via sensors you can place around your home. Some require you to be present to hear the alarm, while others connect to a central hub that can provide alerts to your phone or other device.
• Radon: Detectors are available that provide constant monitoring of this deadly gas. You could also start with a single-use radon test to help determine if a problem may be present.
• Radiation: If you live near a nuclear power plant, you might want to monitor the amount of radiation in your home. Some radiation occurs naturally and poses little problem for humans. But, elevated levels can cause harm.

And, What About a Security System?

There are more options than ever for home security today. Some do-it-yourself security systems include cameras and the ability to see what’s happening at your home via your phone or other electronic device. Of course, systems installed and monitored by a separate security company are still available, as well.

Some alarms can provide benefits beyond safety, too. Installing them may qualify you for a discount on your insurance. Check with your independent agent for more details.

Every year, unintentional carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning (not linked to fires) sends 20,000 people to the emergency room and causes more than 4,000 hospitalizations. And, you might consider them the fortunate ones. CO also is responsible for more than 400 deaths in America each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The truly frightening thing? Most of those victims likely had no idea they were in danger.

CO often is called “the invisible killer” because it’s odorless and colorless, and, when it builds up in an enclosed space, it’s deadly. Everyone is at risk, too, because CO is produced by a number of things we use every day, such as cars and trucks, stoves, grills, gas ranges, furnaces and more.

So, how do you protect yourself? Especially in winter, when it’s cold outside and you’re using heat sources inside your home?

Here are some basic actions you can take to help limit your exposure:

1. Install — and test — CO detectors
   Most states (37 in all) now have some sort of requirement regarding installation of carbon monoxide detectors in private homes. These should be placed outside of each sleeping area and on every level of the home. Because you won’t smell or otherwise notice CO building up, having detectors that will sound an alarm is crucial. Don’t forget to test them once a month.
2. Don’t create additional risk in your home
   You should never use devices that generate large amounts of CO inside your home. Never operate a gas or charcoal grill inside (even in a garage), and make sure generators are used in a well-ventilated outside location away from windows, doors and vents. Make sure to have your furnace and chimney checked annually, too.
3. Be careful in your car
   Carbon monoxide can build up quickly when a vehicle is running, so, if you need to warm up your car, move it out of the garage after you start it.
4. Watch out for snow — at home and on your vehicle
   Snow and ice can block vents for your dryer, furnace, stove and fireplace. They also can obstruct the exhaust of your car. Either can be very dangerous. In fact, according to news reports, several people died in the recent East Coast snowstorm when CO backed up into their cars because the exhaust pipe was blocked.
5. Know the symptoms of CO poisoning
   People can be harmed by a small amount of carbon monoxide over a long period, or a large amount over a short period. Because you might not be able to identify when you’re in a dangerous situation, it pays to know what symptoms to look for:
   • Low to moderate CO poisoning: headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness.
   • High-level CO poisoning: mental confusion, vomiting, loss of coordination, loss of consciousness.

   If you suspect CO poisoning, move the person (and yourself) outside immediately and call 911.

Remember, the important thing to know about carbon monoxide is this: Without CO detectors (and other common-sense measures), you won’t know when you’re at risk. So, take steps to protect yourself and your family today.

If you live in the Phoenix area and are looking for a professional company to come and inspect your carbon monoxide alarms and smoke alarms, reach out to Smoke Alarm Medic today. Smoke Alarm Medic is Arizona’s top rated smoke alarm installation company.

Top image by Flickr user SmartSign used under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Image cropped and modified from original.

If you have a homeowners policy, you probably expect it to cover all the costs of rebuilding your house in case it’s damaged or destroyed by a covered hazard. But are you certain you have enough coverage? Read about two common situations you may be unaware of — and the affordable options that can help put your mind at ease.

   

Extended dwelling coverage

Since reconstruction costs are different from market value, your current homeowners policy may not accurately reflect the true costs of rebuilding your home. Extended dwelling coverage helps you rebuild if construction costs change and add up to more than your current policy limits.

To illustrate this concept, consider this real-life scenario. Your home is currently insured for 100% of its replacement cost, with the cost based on the value of your house when the policy was originally written. However, a wildfire sweeps through your area destroying your home along with hundreds of others nearby. Due to the high demand caused by the natural disaster, construction materials and labor costs increase 20% in your area. So your $400,000 home will now cost $480,000 to rebuild. If you had 20% extended dwelling coverage, you’d get the $480,000. Without it, you get $400,000 and will have to make up the difference out of pocket or settle for less house than you originally had.

Building ordinance or law coverage

If your home is damaged by a covered loss and needs to be rebuilt or repaired, you are required to build according to current building codes. And since codes have grown more rigorous over the past 20 years, this could mean much higher costs to rebuild than you anticipate. That’s where a building ordinance policy, or law coverage, comes into effect — and it could save you thousands of dollars.

Again, let’s take the example from above and assume you have a $200,000 homeowners policy. With a 10% building ordinance policy, you would get an extra $20,000 to apply to the new building code requirements you must meet. Without this policy option, you’ll have to pay the difference to bring your house up to code.

Extended dwelling and building ordinance policies offer valuable protection from gaps in coverage in case of an unforeseen covered event, and all for an affordable annual premium. To better understanding your risks, and to protect yourself from a loss that may exceed your policy limits, give us a call today.

Photo by Tim Scalzo on Unsplash

Sometimes, a basic homeowners policy just isn’t enough. So as your career advances and your income increases, it’s important to keep your insurance protection up to date. This helps you avoid expensive gaps in coverage and prevents you from paying too much out of pocket in case of a claim. To be properly protected, you need a homeowners policy that grows with you.

That’s why we offer multiple homeowners policy options, including packages specifically for customers who need higher levels of protection. You may benefit from additional coverage if any of the following apply to you:

• The cost to completely rebuild your home is between $500,000 and $3 million.
• You have a custom-built home.
• Your home has marble countertops, custom cabinetry, high-end appliances or electronics, valuable collections of various kinds, or similar amenities.
• You have substantial financial assets to protect.
• You have additional or unique risk exposure.

Our options give you the flexibility to easily add affordable comprehensive coverage to your policy without confusing endorsements or other complications. These valuable options include:

Extended dwelling coverage. Full reconstruction costs are often different than market value, so your current homeowners policy may not accurately reflect the true costs of rebuilding your home. Extended dwelling coverage helps you rebuild if construction or permitting costs change and add up to more than your current policy limits. It may also pay for debris removal, contractor costs, construction fees and permits, architect’s fees, and other expenses.

Building ordinance or law coverage. If your home needs to be rebuilt or repaired due to a covered loss, you’ll have to build according to current building codes. And since codes change, this could mean higher costs than expected to rebuild. Building ordinance policy, or law coverage, exists for just such scenarios — and it could save you thousands.

Replacement cost up-front coverage. This loss settlement option allows you to choose not to rebuild at the original location following a covered total loss. In this case, you’ll get a payout to apply to the purchase or construction of a new home in a new location.

Personal property replacement cost coverage. This helps cover the costs of replacing personal property, such as electronics, art, jewelry, and furniture, with no deduction for depreciation. So you’ll get the amount needed to buy an identical or comparable item rather than settling for something of lesser value.

Personal offense coverage. This offers you broad protection against a variety of lawsuits and damages related to libel, slander, defamation of character, invasion of privacy, and other offenses. This may include comments made on social media by either you or your children.

Is your homeowners policy up to date? If you’re unsure or if you’ve outgrown your current coverage, contact us to discuss your situation and get the protection you truly need.

Reposted with permission from the original author, Safeco Insurance®.

Top image by Flickr user David Sawyer used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 2.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.

Two-thirds of households in America have air conditioners, according to the U.S. Department of Energy — and they spend a total $11 billion each year running them.

Reposted with permission from the original author, Safeco Insurance®.

Top image by Flickr user Steven Miller used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 2.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.