Smoke!

[muffy]

They have basic ones for like $10 at Walmart. They don't need to be fancy . And the new ones don't go off for no reason as much as the old ones did. I'm sure they'll work, or someone would have sued the company already. And you can just put them on a high shelf , you don't have to mount them on the ceiling. Better than nothing!

I don't have a high shelf. Who would I get to install them? Do I plug them in or use a battery?

 

[LTS3]

A handy man could install battery-type smoke and CO detectors. I would use an electrician for the ones that need to be hard wired into the house electrical system just to be safe. There are no plug in smoke detectors but there are small plug in CO ones. Your local fire department may be able to install battery detectors too, especially for the elderly and disabled.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I remember a demonstration a fireman did on a field trip I went on in elementary school. He showed us a smoke detector that had been in a fire. It was melted and browned. And then he showed us that it was still a working detector! He found where the test button should have been and set it off. That was +25 years ago.

I would think fire stations could help put you in touch with someone who could help install them or possibly send someone to do it for you themselves. Especially volunteer ones. They all come with test buttons and you can look for ones that say "UL Listed" too. That should help you feel confident in what you buy. They should be tested every 6 months; so the first day of fall and the first day of spring is a good rule of thumb. If you use battery ones; change them then.

I don't know how many times I've read a news article about a fatal fire that said there were no working smoke detectors. We actually just had one not far from here recently that a mom and one kid got out; but three little ones did not. And this was in the middle of the day. They had no smoke detectors and the house went up that fast. The community was absolutely reeling over the tragedy.

 

[Mother Dragon]

I don't know who to get to replace them. I don't know that if I get new ones that they will work.

You can get new ones from WalMart for less than $10. You can even order them online from WalMart. All you have to do then is put the batteries and screw them into the wall. You could even use good double-stick tape.

This is the cheapest.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/First-Al...-Alarm-with-Silence-Button-SA303CN3/581491753

We like this one because it has an escape light. It's only a couple of dollars more.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/First-Alert-SA304CN3-Smoke-Alarm-Escape-Light/501050366

If you have any gas like propane or natural gas, you should install at least one carbon monoxide detector. This one is easy to install.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/First-Alert-CO400-Battery-Operated-Carbon-Monoxide-Alarm/10099176

Prices at Lowe's and Home Depot are about three times higher.

Please don't be intimidated by this, Muffy. It's really very easy and if you read the entries above, it may well save your life sometime. You're an important part of TCS. We sure don't want to lose you!

 

[Willowy]

I don't have a high shelf. Who would I get to install them? Do I plug them in or use a battery?

They use batteries, usually. Rentals require (in this state anyway) hardwired detectors, so if you rent that's the landlord's responsibility. But the normal ones that people buy are battery-operated. Some have non-replaceable batteries that last a set amount of time (expiration date should be on it), and some have replaceable batteries that need changing.

Gas detectors usually plug in and are very easy. If you have propane you need a different kind than if you have natural gas (well, the CO detector part is the same. But propane doesn't always show up on a CO detector so you want a dual gas detector).

Yeah, call your local fire station. They usually have some free ones available, and if you tell them you can't install it yourself they might send someone to do it for you as a community service.

I didn't even think about double-sided tape! That could work, a good strong one. But you'd still have to get on a ladder and I don't want you to fall. Maybe a neighbor could help, or a handyman.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I bet a Boyscout troop would do it as community service. They have older boys who are looking for projects for badges and things. And then they'd likely be under an adults supervision too.

I've used Command adhesive to hang a few things. (Just the strips part.) I'm not sure about a smoke detector though. The wood letters on DD's wall have never fallen off. I think they make one that works like velcro.

 

[muffy]

Thanks, everyone for your help. I will get in touch with the fire department to see if they will help.

 

[Mother Dragon]

We have only one fire extinguisher left to put up and it's in the room where the ceiling recently fell.

We also carry a mid-sized fire extinguisher in the vehicle, in a place where it's easily reached. In the past we've had to use one when the wiring on our Malibooboo station wagon caught fire. Had we not been able to put the fire out, the whole car would've burned. We also used one when we stopped to help someone on the side of the road. It took several people's extinguishers, but we put the fire out and saved the car.

Our motorcycles also carry small ones. They might not put out a big blaze, but they can help.

Do think about making sure your vehicle has one and that it's current.

 

[Willowy]

Do think about making sure your vehicle has one and that it's current.

I've always been afraid that an extinguisher left in the car would explode in the extreme heat and/or cold. But I suppose the manufacturers have accounted for that.

(I mean, of course it's rated for extreme heat, what good would it be if it weren't. But I was thinking about the extreme cold too. I just looked one up and said it was rated to -40, which ought to be good enough most of the time. But every now and then it drops below that. . .I wonder what would happen.)

 

[Mother Dragon]

It probably doesn't get that cold inside the vehicle. And if it's that cold, you probably won't be worrying about a fire, except to get warm!

I promise that if it won't explode inside a car in the Texas summer heat, it won't explode. None of ours have ever had any problems.

 

[susanm9006]

I have thought about an extinguisher in the car but haven’t figured out to secure it. I have always had a hatchback so no trunk to store it and I don’t want it turning into a flying missile if I am in an accident or stop quickly .

 

[Mother Dragon]

Use a Velcro or bungee strap to secure it to one of the mounts under the back seat. Quick release and out of the way. Some come with bolt on or screw on mounts you could use.

 

[susanm9006]

Use a Velcro or bungee strap to secure it to one of the mounts under the back seat. Quick release and out of the way. Some come with bolt on or screw on mounts you could use.

Thanks. My HRV has back seats that fold up so I will check to see if there is something underneath them I could use.

 

[Willowy]

if it's that cold, you probably won't be worrying about a fire, except to get warm!

Around here, everything always seems to catch fire when it's the coldest out! Space heaters, I suppose.

 

[catsknowme]

Thanks. My HRV has back seats that fold up so I will check to see if there is something underneath them I could use.

When you figure out installment for a fire extinguisher for your HRV, please let us know ~ my niece drives one and I would like to get a nice emergency kit as her Christmas present.

 

[catsknowme]

Around here, everything always seems to catch fire when it's the coldest out! Space heaters, I suppose.

That is so sad. It is ironic when fire destroys things in the bitter cold. And where you are, bitter cold is an understatement; I often wonder how the Ancient Ones survived in those harsh conditions.

 

[Mother Dragon]

A first aid kit for both the house and the car are essential. Don't buy one of those "382 piece" kits. They have 357 cheap bandages in them and not much else. We got a medium plastic box and stocked it with things we really might need. If several people go together, there won't be any leftovers and costs will be reduced.

Among the things we put in:

Bandage scissors (cheap at WalMart in the drug department)
Assorted adhesive bandages
Gauze pads in various sizes
Adhesive tape in various widths and kinds
Eye drops
Blood Stop powder and Blood Stop bandages (also called Wound Stop)
Tweezers
Triangle bandages (easy to home make)
Antibiotic ointment
Official tourniquet
Popsickle sticks/tongue depressors for small splints
Sterile saline (from contact lens care) in individual tubes
Pepto Bismol tablets
Immodium tablets for diarrhea
Mylanta tablets for upset stomach
Tums
Ibuprofen
Alleve
Benedryl capsules
Gauze bandage (long) in multiple widths
Alcohol wipes (in diabetic section)
Elastic bandages in various widths
Small magnifying glass
Sharpie pen
Other things I can't think of right now.

We keep like things in clear plastic sandwich bags. The car one is stored under the back sear.

WHAT WOULD YOU ADD?

 

[susanm9006]

Mother Dragon , my suggestion for your kit would be to include a insect sting stick. In addition to a small first aide kit I always carry a multi tool, a sharp scissors (capable of cutting a seatbelt), nail clipper, duct tape, extra reading glasses, sunscreen, insect repellant and a space blanket in the car.

 

[Mother Dragon]

Outstanding suggestions! I'll check to see that we have those!