Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday, Nov. 1; set clock back one hour Halloween night!
On Sunday, Nov. 1, at 2:00 am, Daylight Saving Time (DST) ends in the U.S., so when you go to bed on Saturday night, Halloween night, set your clocks back by one hour - remember "Fall Back, Spring Forward."
This is also a good time to remember to install fresh batteries in your smoke alarms, to clean them, and test to see if they still work by pressing the test button, and to check your watering irrigation timers, if this applies to you.
SMOKE ALARMS
Your smoke alarm should be replaced if it is more than ten years old or the alarm doesn't sound when you press the test button.
Smoke alarms should be installed on every level of your home, including the basement, and in or near sleeping areas. For the best protection, equip your home with a combination of ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms, or dual-sensor alarms. Interconnected alarms, alarms that all sound when one sounds, are available at most stores that sell smoke alarms.
EMERGENCY ESCAPE PLAN
Make sure that everyone in your home knows how to respond when a smoke alarm sounds - or when any other disaster strikes - with an escape plan to ensure that everyone will be able to safely and quickly get out of the home. Plan to meet in a place that’s a safe distance from the house in an area where first responders can easily see you.
IRRIGATION TIMERS
The time change is also a good time to make sure irrigation system timers are set correctly. All 16 counties within the Southwest Florida Water Management District (water district) are on year-round water conservation measures, with lawn watering limited to twice-per-week unless your city or county has a different schedule or stricter hours. Local governments maintaining once-per-week watering by local ordinance include Citrus, Hernando, Pasco and Sarasota counties and the City of Dunedin. For additional information about water conservation, please visit the water district’s website at WaterMatters.org/Conservation.