Home safe home: Three important ways to protect your family

We all want our homes to be healthy and safe places for our families. That’s why we want to share with you three easy ways to help keep your home free of some common (and even deadly) hazards:

Check and periodically replace smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Carbon monoxide is a silent killer and it’s a potential danger year-round, not just during the winter months when your furnace is running. Make sure your home has CO detectors on each floor and make sure they are replaced every five years. (Check each alarm’s manufacture date so you know when it’s time for replacement.) Smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years. The batteries in battery-powered smoke alarms should be changed at least once a year. Remember, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms should be on every level of your home. They are one of the most affordable and effective ways to protect your family at home.

Invest in quality air filters. During the winter months, it’s a good idea to change your air filters at least once a month. This helps your furnace to run better and helps improve the quality of the air in your home. Year-round, a quality air filter can help trap allergens and particulates, which may be irritating to family members with asthma or allergies.

Check the radon levels in your home. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer if levels are too high. You can’t see or smell it — the only way to know your home’s radon level is by testing. Homes in all parts of the country can have high radon levels. Low-cost test kits are available and remediation systems can be installed to lower a home’s radon level if it is found to be above recommended limits. For more information about radon and how to test for it, check out this guide from the EPA.