Before hitting the sack tonight, residents should remember to set their clocks back an hour, as Daylight Saving Time comes to an end — giving us all an extra hour of sleep.
California and most other states will “fall back” an hour at 2 a.m. Sunday, as the state returns to Pacific Standard Time.
As usual, fire officials urged people to use the semi-annual clock changing exercise as a reminder to replace batteries for smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, as well as emergency flashlights. The battery-changing ritual should include checking that the device has not passed an expiration date, and clearing dust from slots or sensors.
Fire officials recommend a smoke alarm with good batteries in all sleeping areas, one outside each bedroom and on each level of a home.
Alarms should be mounted high on walls, four inches to a foot away from the ceiling, or on ceilings, at least four inches from the nearest wall. On pitched ceilings, they should be installed at least four inches from the highest point.
Smoke detectors should not be kept near windows, doors or ducts where drafts could interfere with their operation, officials said.
Smoke alarms have a life span of about 10 years and have the date stamped on the back, fire officials said.
