11 smart buys that will make your home safer
Your room-by-room guide to averting household disasters
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It’s almost that time of year again, when you turn the clocks back an hour and change the batteries in all your smoke detectors. You’ve got that routine down pat, right? And you’re ready to fight a kitchen flare-up at any moment with that UL-listed fire extinguisher stowed nearby. (If not, get to a hardware store--pronto!)
Unfortunately, not all the products you need to stay safe are as obvious as working smoke detectors and fire extinguishers. But by making a few smart purchases, you can sharply cut your odds of disasters ranging from break-ins to poisonings. How do we know? We’re published by Consumers Union, the same group that helped develop childproof caps and raise SUV rollover standards.
Our on-staff experts spend their days investigating recalls, analyzing product-related injuries, reviewing reams of medical reports, and compiling consumer accounts of dangerous products to keep on top of the most pressing safety issues and push for changes in the marketplace when necessary. We test all kinds of products for toxins, flammability, slipperiness, and stability. We also rate safety devices for how well they work and how easy they are to use at home, and we review everyday products for defects and unsafe designs.
Medeco Maxum Residential RL-011101 door lock ($160; available at locksmiths)
What it does: This high-security single-cylinder deadbolt can prevent kick-ins and deter a professional thief with a cordless drill or lock-picking tools, which is something many other locks we tested couldn’t do.
Why that’s good: Nearly two-thirds of all burglaries involve forced entry.
Style note: Metal finishes include antitarnish brass, satin nickel, and oil-rubbed bronze.
Kidde Nighthawk KN-COOP-BCOalarm ($40; available at Ace Hardware, home centers, Wal-Mart, and Target)
What it does: This wireless detector sounds an alarm within 10 minutes when it registers high levels of carbon monoxide, which can be generated by furnaces, water heaters, and stoves. And because it’s battery-operated, it’ll keep working during a power failure.
Why that’s good: Carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless gas, kills some 500 Americans and injures 15,000 every year. First symptoms include headaches and other flulike effects, but you may not get these warning signs.
Temperature-control valves on shower and tub controls (pressure-balancing valve, $100 to $250; thermostatic valve, $400 and up; available at home centers and hardware stores)
What it does: This product, which is a replacement unit for older valves, eliminates blasts of hot or cold water when a toilet is flushed or a faucet is turned on elsewhere in the house. A cheap option: an anti-scald cutoff valve that can be installed behind the showerhead.
Why that’s good: Scalding causes 3,800 injuries and 34 deaths each year in the home. The majority of these accidents involve the elderly and children under age 5.
GE SmartWater GXFM03C water filter ($22; available at Wal-Mart)
What it does: It screws directly onto your faucet to remove lead, chloroform, parasite cysts, sediment, and off-tastes from drinking water. Filtered tap water is cheaper than bottled water. Also, municipal water sources probably meet more quality standards than bottled water does, but keep in mind that you need to change the filter cartridge every two to three months.
Why that’s good: Chloroform, a byproduct of chlorine, and lead, a potent neurotoxin and potential carcinogen, are widespread water contaminants. Parasite cysts cause intestinal distress.
Stove Guard ($299, available at www.stoveguard.ca and
www.save-on-security.com)
What it does: Maybe you’ve already had a close call with a flaming pot left on the stove, or maybe you just worry about forgetting to turn off the burner. This device can prevent fires by cutting off power to electric burners (sorry, it doesn’t work with gas ranges) if it detects no motion after a set time.
Why that’s good: Each year, 47,000 fires occur on rangetops, injuring 2,400 people and killing dozens.
Solid or flexible metal clothes-dryer exhaust duct ($1 per linear foot for the flexible type and $2 for the solid type; available at home centers)
What it does: Metal piping helps prevent clothes-dryer fires caused by lint buildup because it doesn’t sag or easily crush like accordion-style plastic or foil ducts do. Metal is also better at containing flames. And lint is less likely to get trapped in the smooth walls of a solid metal duct.
Why that’s good: As many as 15,000 fires start in clothes dryers annually, causing up to 19 deaths.
Bark mulch, wood fiber, or rubber mulch ($1.50 per cubic foot for the bark mulch and wood fiber and $15 per cubic foot for rubber mulch; all materials are available at home centers)
What it does: When installed in play areas and maintained properly (see Publication No. 325 at www.cpsc.gov), these shock-absorbing materials can prevent serious injuries. For a 6-foot structure, rubber chips should be at least 6 inches deep; wood chips 9 inches, and wood fiber 10 inches. Place surfacing 6 feet in all directions.
Why that’s good: The majority of playground injuries that are treated in emergency rooms result from falls.
Poolguard PGRM-AG pool alarm for above-ground pools and PGRM-2 for built-in pools ($140 and $225, respectively; available at swimming-pool retail stores)
What it does: These monitors attach to the side of the pool and sound an alarm there and in the house when anything weighing over 18 pounds falls in.
Why that’s good: Every year, more than 300 children under age 15 drown in swimming pools.
Ground-fault circuit interrupter, or GFCI, outlet ($12; available at hardware and home centers)
What it does: It cuts off power when it detects stray paths of electrical flow that occur when someone receives a shock. Install one at every outlet near water, such as those in your kitchen and bathrooms.
Why that’s good: GFCIs could prevent two-thirds of the 300 annual electrocutions occurring in and around the home as well as thousands of burn and electric-shock injuries.
Semitransparent deck treatment ($15 to $35; available at home centers and paint and hardware stores)
What it does: It coats and seals wooden decks, as well as playsets and picnic tables, that might be leaching arsenic, a known cancer-causing chemical that was commonly used in pressure-treated lumber from the 1970s until recently.
Why that’s good: These coatings stop water from penetrating into the wood, which draws chemicals to the surface.
VAPOR TAMER
Briggs & Stratton Smart Fill Fuel Can ($28; available at Ace Hardware and www.briggsandstratton.com)
What it does: An automatic shutoff valve on the container reduces spills when filling gas-powered yard equipment and eliminates vapors during storage. Two handles make pouring easy.
Why that’s good: Containers like these are required by law in 15 states and Washington, D.C., to reduce spills and vapors.
| Want more? Click any of the links below for more articles from the first issue of ShopSmart;) Vintage values A high price doesn’t always mean a better wine. Check out these great whites for as little as $8. How to save on everyday stuff this fall Here are smart ways to save on everything from bulbs and bouquets to boxes of Cheerios Where to find the best travel deals With so many online booking sites, you can never really be sure you’ve nailed the lowest price. Follow our tips to find the best deals. |
