Ready for an extra hour of sleep over the weekend? Daylight saving time ends in the early morning hours of Sunday, November 1.
The changeover back to standard time (ST) occurs on the first Sunday in November at 2 a.m. (local time).
Some people remember which way to move their clocks using the phrase, “spring forward, fall back.”
County firefighters say that as we change our clocks, we should also change the batteries in carbon monoxide (CO) detectors and check the smoke alarms in our homes.
Working smoke alarms and CO detectors double a family’s chance of surviving a home fire and/or an unsafe carbon monoxide level.
Maryland requires smoke alarms to have sealed-in, 10-year long-life batteries.
DYK #DaylightSavingTime ends at 2a this Sunday. Get into a Life-Saving Habit, change your clock, check your smoke alarm (change your back-up batteries in hardwired smoke alarms) *Replace battery-only operated smoke alarms w/ units powered by sealed-in, 10-year/long-life batteries pic.twitter.com/nJEdqdwd4m
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) October 28, 2020
County officials also want to remind residents that batteries do not belong in the regular trash. Improperly disposed batteries can cause fires in trash cans, on trash trucks and at the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station. This applies to all batteries including:
- Dry cell and alkaline batteries
- Lithium batteries
- Lithium-ion batteries
- Nickel-cadmium batteries
- Lead acid (vehicle) batteries
- Uninterruptible power supplies (personal and network)
- Tool batteries
The household hazardous waste drop off area at the Transfer Station accepts all batteries, including alkaline batteries, for disposal. Lead acid and/or vehicle batteries can be dropped off for no charge.
It is important to transport batteries safely when they are headed for disposal, especially larger vehicle batteries. The safest methods of transporting batteries are to protect terminals by placing each battery individually into a plastic bag or by taping the ends with masking tape or another non-metallic tape.
When carrying small batteries in your pocket, do not mix them with coins and house keys.
Here’s a short video with information on the safe disposal of batteries.
The time to “fall back” begins at 2 a.m. on Sunday.
