Spring ahead! Daylight-saving time starts March 14

Throughout most of the United States, daylight-saving time (DST) will start at 2 a.m. your local time this Sunday, March 14. So be sure to spring ahead and set your clock forward one hour. Find daylight-saving time start and end dates for 2010 and beyond.

Learn more about daylight-saving time and consider tackling some of the simple chores here to make your home safer and cut down on energy use (one of the reasons cited in 2005 for extending daylight-saving time):

• Replace the batteries on your smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms. (Do this once a year, say now at the start of daylight-saving time or, even better, at the end of daylight-saving time.) And since these devices have a limited service life, you should replace smoke alarms every 10 years and CO alarms every five year. Use our free buyer's guide to smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms to find the best models and learn how to properly install them. Ratings of smoke alarms and carbon-monoxide alarms are available to subscribers.

• Check your dryer vent for buildup that can become a fire or carbon-monoxide hazard.

• Reset the timers on outdoor lights to avoid wasting electricity, and replace incandescent bulbs with more-efficient compact fluorescent lightbulbs recommended for outdoor use.

• Replace the water filter in your refrigerator if needed and check to be sure the door gasket has a tight seal.

• If you haven't already, turn the temperature on your storage-tank gas water heater down to 120°F. This will save you money and lower risk of scalding injuries. (Don't do this on a storage-tank electric water heater. The lower extremity of an electric water heater can be cooler than the thermostat setting, which might make it an ideal breeding ground for bacteria.) Also consider draining your water heater.

• Get your air conditioning in shape for cooling season. And if you're buying new cooling equipment, don't wait for the warm weather to arrive to schedule installation; contractors might be too busy with other jobs to get to you in a timely manner. A programmable thermostat can also help cut utility bills.

• Inspect your deck and clean underneath it to determine whether you need to replace or refinish it anytime soon.

—Gian Trotta