Sleep Tight

"It's ironic that fixing these life-saving devices could kill you," my husband said as we changed all the smoke detectors in our house. When I say "we," I mean "he." (I just held the ladder.)

Did you know smoke detectors have a ten-year life? We didn't until they expired and kindly let us know by rousing us from a deep sleep at 2 a.m. That sound is scary as hell at 2 a.m. This was in May so we figured it was our punishment for not changing the batteries in April. The alarms went off again that same morning at 4 a.m. These alarms weren't messing around.

We changed all the batteries latter that day. Only one can be changed with a stepladder. The rest require an extension ladder. But we were very careful and cautious and got the job done.

The very next morning, the alarms sounded again at 4 a.m.! Why is it that when an alarm really wants to alarm you, it must do so in the middle of the night? What's wrong with a gentle reminder at four in the afternoon? I suppose it has to do with getting one's attention but, still, there should be an app for this.

With research we determined (again, I mean "he") that the entire smoke detector units needed to be replaced because they were now ten years old. We also learned they will "chirp" (in our case, "scream") until the units are replaced (or dismantled). With replacements now in hand, we ("he") climbed the ladder once more to dangerous heights.

Safe and sound back on the ground once more, we have our fingers crossed for a good night's sleep.

Next time you're changing the batteries in your smoke detector, look for an expiration date in the smoke detector itself. It could save you from a rude awakening in the middle of the night.