ALARMS PLUS Security Tip: 9 Volt Batteries in junk drawers & trash can kill you! Nearly all of us have a junk drawer, usually in the kitchen with a one or more 9 volt batteries in it, right? We all usually change our 9 volt smoke detector batteries at daylight savings time every year to protect our house and loved ones from a fire, right? What if, by changing your smoke detector batteries you could actually be placing your home and family in worse danger from the very thing you are trying to protect them from? Well, 9 volt battery caused house fires are on the rise! Many household fires are needlessly caused by 9 volt batteries that are in junk drawers, trashcans, trash bags, and recycle cans every year. 9 volt batteries have one potentially deadly flaw. Both terminals are at the same end of the battery and very close together. Even when a 9 volt battery no longer has the power to run your device, it still has enough power to cause a deadly fire if the terminals are shorted. Nearly anything can short these terminals if it is either metallic (metal) or just damp. You would not think a piece of wet paper or cardboard would be dangerous in your trash or recycle can. What about a scrap piece of meat or fruit/vegetable? Under the right circumstances, all of these things can short out the terminals on an unprotected 9 volt battery and result in a deadly house or office. Whether you are storing new or used 9 volt batteries or disposing of used ones here are some safety tips you must follow to keep a devastating house fire from happening to you and your family. * ALL (New or Used 9) volt batteries should have a piece of electrical tape covering the top of the batteries so nothing metallic or damp can touch and short circuit the terminals. At the very least or in addition to taping the terminal end of the battery, place each new or used battery in a single small zip lock bag because they can even short out against each other. * Even if you think a 9 volt batteries is dead it still needs to have a piece of electrical tape covering the top of the batteries so nothing metallic or damp can touch and short circuit the terminals or places in individual zip lock bags. * Do not store 9 volt batteries loose in a junk drawer. * Do not throw used batteries in the trash or recycle without covering the top of the batteries so nothing metallic or damp can touch and short circuit the terminals. (all batteries should be recycled and never thrown in the regular trash) Please Share this post with anyone you think could benefit from this information. :) For information on how a home security system with monitored fire detectors can dramatically increase your security & fire safety contact us at Alarms Plus. facebook/alarm01
Posted on: Wed, 15 Jan 2014 18:39:12 +0000
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