Home Safety Checklist For New Haven

Staying safe and secure in your house should be your largest responsibility. But are you overlooking one or two useful safety items? Look over this home safety checklist for New Haven and discover where your house requires an update.

This guide begins with five whole-house safety items, and then we delve down room-by-room. Then, call (203) 402-8863 or complete the form below for additional information.

Basic Home Safety Checklist for New Haven

While you will want to take a room-by-room approach to home safety in New Haven, there are a few items that are practical for each part of your home. These components can sync to each other through a smart hub, and oftentimes respond to other things. You can also manage all your home safety devices through a mobile security app, like ADT Control:

Monitored Home Security System: All your entryways should employ a sensor that alerts you to intrusion. After the alarm triggers, your monitoring agent answers the call and quickly sends the police or fire department.

Smart Lighting For Each Room: Of course, you can schedule your smart lighting so your home is more efficient. But they can also help you remain safe in an emergency. Make your downstairs lights flash on when a sensor triggers to scare off intruders or illuminate a path to a safe location.

Smart Thermostat: Like your smart lights, a smart thermostat in New Haven could save you 10%-15% in gas and electric costs. It also can turn on the exhaust fan when your alarms senses a fire.

Monitored Fire Alarms: At the very least, you should have a fire detector on every level. You can increase your fire game by utilizing a monitored fire detector that looks for both heat and smoke, and pings your 24-hour monitoring agents when it thinks that there’s a fire.

Smart Door Locks: Every doorway that utilizes a deadbolt can be made safer with a smart lock. Now you can set key codes to each family member and receive texts to your phone when your locks are unlocked. Your doors can even automatically unlock, helping you to quickly flee the house when you have a fire or dangerous situation.

Family Room/Living Room Safety Checklist For New Haven

You’ll hang out most in the living room, so it’s the best place to optimize your home safety. Highly sought after items, like a big screen or video game console, typically sit in your family room, making it a popular room for burglars. Begin with hanging a motion detector or security camera in your room, then continue on with the following safety protocols:

Motion Detectors: By installing motion detectors, you’ll hear a high-decibel alarm whenever they detect suspicious movement within your living room. The best devices are motion sensors that filter out pets or you’ll have a tripped alarm each time your dog comes in for a midnight stroll.
Security Camera: An indoor security camera offers an eye on your family room. View real-time streams of your room so you can find out what’s going on from the mobile app. Or chat with your family when they arrive home from playing with the two-way talk feature.
Surge Protector/Outlet Maintenance: Protect expensive electronics and quit overloading your electric system with a surge protector. For extra energy-efficiency, use a smart plug with a surge protector in the unit.
Furniture Secured To The Wall: If you have curious kids, you’ll need to attach your bookshelves and entertainment center to your wall. This is especially important if your family room uses carpeting that can make heavy objects extra wobbly.
Enhanced Locks For Glass Doors: If your living room has a sliding door that opens to a patio, deck, or screened-in porch, you get that the latch is usually flimsy. Use a special lock, like a cross bar or small locks that secures the door to the top and bottom of the frame.

Kitchen Safety Checklist For New Haven

The kitchen has plenty of items that should add comfort and safety to your home. Some of these objects are also easy to add and can be found in the grocery store:

Fire Extinguisher: A fire can happen from an unwatched pot or an errant grease splatter. Always have a fire extinguisher at the ready for any stove or oven emergencies.
Circuit Interrupter Box On Every Outlet: A GFCI outlet should be standard everywhere there’s nearby running water to ward off an electric shock. That includes the outlets around your kitchen counter and sink. Since the late ‘80s, it’s been required to have one GFCI per circuit. But if you don’t want your whole kitchen to flip off when one outlet flips, you’re going to want to use a single GFCI per outlet.

Monitored CO Detector: A carbon monoxide detector is handy in spaces that use a gas stove and oven. If your gas lines leak, the CO detector will emit a loud sound and contact your monitoring professional.
Clorox Wipes Or Spray: The biggest safety issue in the kitchen is the invisible bacteria and contamination that comes with blood from meat and dairy. Always have cleaning wipes or spray to scrub off your counters after making a meal.
Refrigerator/Freezer Alarm: The milk, meat, and perishables in the fridge have to remain at a cold temperature to stay healthy to use. If you leave the refrigerator door ajar, then a small beep will let you know so you can shut it securely. Some fridges already have an alarm, some won’t, and you’ll have to buy a refrigerator alarm from the store.

Bathroom Safety Checklist For New Haven

Just because you don’t a bunch of room in your bathroom, you will still have safety concerns. From flood prevention to medicine care, here are a few safety tips for your bathroom:

Flood Sensors: A leaking sink or tub can create extensive water damage. Discover a leak with a flood detector and save yourself from redoing the entire bathroom.
Non-slip Bath Mats: A slip and fall in the bathroom can be devastating, causing cuts, bruises, or sprained ankles. Make sure you avoid these problems with a non-slip bath mat for after your bath or shower.

Non-slip Bathtub Strips: Likewise, a tub basin can be a slick place to stand in. It’s a good idea that each has some non-slip strips so your feet and toes have a rough patch to grip.

Medicine Door Lock: If you have curious toddlers or someone with memory lapses, you should take extra care regarding prescription medicine. Secure your pills and syrups by getting a medicine cabinet with a latch that locks.

GFCI Circuits: Similarly to the kitchen, you should also put in a surge protecting circuit interrupter outlet on each bathroom outlet. These will stop the flow of the electric current if water enters the outlet or they experience a sudden spike from an electric razor or hair dryer.

Child’s Bedroom Safety Checklist For New Haven

Your child’s bedroom should counterbalance safety with simplicity. If their window shades or other items are safe but tricky to operate, then your children may get around the device with unsafe methods -- like scale a dresser -- to open them. Here are some straightforward, and safe, ideas:

Cordless Window Coverings: Safety experts have long called corded window treatments an unsuspecting problem for both children and pets. Install motorized treatments that kids can easily control through a remote. Or better yet, pair your motorized coverings to your ADT smart hub so they open on a schedule at dawn, and close at night for an easier sleep.

Indoor Security Camera: An indoor security camera placed on your toddler’s desk can behave like a baby monitor that you can view with a mobile device. And if they need your help, they can push the intercom talk feature included on the camera.

Outlet Plug Covers: While every outlet should have outlet safety caps on them when you have young children, this is doubly important in a child’s bedroom. It’s the main place in your house where your children will most likely play alone without adult supervision.

Window Escape Ladder: If you have bedrooms on above the first level, then you need to install a window safety ladder. These will help a young one get out of their room even if the stairs or lower levels are on fire. Just remember to rehearse how to employ the ladder a few times a year.

Toy Chest Or Low Shelves: It’s interesting to view a toy box as a safety device, but you’ll see the light if you’ve ever tramped on a building block in your stocking feet. A clean floor means a quick way out if there’s an emergency.

Main Bedroom Safety Checklist For New Haven

The master bedroom should be a refuge, so let your safety devices make life easier if there's an emergency event. After all, being jerked awake by a loud siren can be disorienting.

Security System Touchscreen: Having a smart hub on your dresser lets you see what’s happening without jumping out of bed. You could alternatively turn on your ADT phone app but, the HD touchscreen is often faster to use when you’re coming out of sleep and finding your bearings.

Personal Charging Area: We rely on our phones for so many things now alarm clocks, news readers, social media, and maybe even phones. The only problem is that a depleted device will cut us off from the outside world if during an emergency. To make sure your phone always works, a charging station or cord becomes an important part of your nightstand.

Smart Lights Or Nightlights: A small light can be a beacon when you’re jolted awake from an alarm or other loud noises. If you can’t fall asleep with an outlet light, use smart lights in your bedroom and hall. Then you can control light anytime with a button push or voice command.
Fireproof Safe: Keep your vital paperwork like social security cards, stock certificates, or a bankbook in a fireproof lockbox. This can be a large one that sits out of the way or a smaller handheld safe that you can grab when you leave during a fire or break-in.

Temperature Sensor: The issue with most bedrooms is that they can feel too stuffy or be cold because they are far from the thermostat. A heat sensor can talk to your smart thermostat so you will have a comfortable, peaceful sleep at just the right temperature.

Basement/Garage Safety Checklist For New Haven

Most safety problems in the garage or basement have to do with your water or heating system. Seeing problems before they start can prevent larger emergencies later on. So, as you look around your storage areas, take note of these safety items:

Water Sensor Or Sump Pump Alarm: Putting a flood sensor by your water heater or sump pump drain can prevent you from finding a lake when you walk into your garage or basement. Do you really want to waste your weekend getting rid of standing water?

Carbon Monoxide Alarm: It’s beneficial to hang a carbon monoxide alarm in a place where a natural gas leak can happen. If you use gas heat, you’ll want to install an alarm in the same room as your HVAC unit.
Remote Water Shutoff Valve: If your flood detector senses a hot water heater leak or a busted pipe, then you will want to cut off the primary water pipe at once. With a WiFi shutoff valve, you can turn off your water flow from anywhere in the world. That’s perfect when you’re on vacation and get an emergency leak notification on your smartphone.
Garage Door Sensor: Leaving the garage up leads to all types of problems. You can lose heat or air through that open door, and rodents or intruders can just walk in. A remote sensor will text you about a neglected garage door and allow you to close it remotely.
Heat Sensor: A heat alarm in your basement or garage is handy if you worry about frozen pipes. The temperature in these areas can be drastically different than your main rooms of the house, so you may want to maintain a close look on the temp through your security mobile app.

Outside Safety Checklist for New Haven

Your foliage, driveway, and front step are just as crucial to defend as the inside of your home. Use this checklist to defend your perimeter:

Doorbell Security Camera: See who’s arrived at the front door before you open it and chat with guests. See packages and look at video clips if they are stolen.

Outdoor Camera: You can place outdoor cameras to guard against unusual activity in your yard. These devices come in handy in areas where you may not have a view -- like a side yard or by the garage door.

Low Bushes: Tall shrubs can give you some privacy, but they also block you seeing into the outside. Don’t give potential intruders a place to hide. Plus, tall shrubs or foliage too close to your house can obstruct gutters and bring in bugs.
ADT Signs And Decals: One of the biggest deterrents for a break-in is advertising to potential intruders that you have a state-of-the-art security system. An ADT sign by the front door and a window decal will alert people that they should keep walking to an unprotected target.

Motion Triggered Outside Light Fixtures: Light is the greatest deterrent to those who skulk in the shadows. Motion-activated lighting on your deck, porch, or garage can shoo possible intruders away. They also help you get inside when you get back home late after work.

Use Secure24 Alarm Systems To Help You Finish Your Home Safety Checklist for New Haven

While Secure24 Alarm Systems can’t install each household item on your New Haven home safety checklist, we can install a state-of-the-art home security. With easy-to-use devices and ADT monitoring, we can personalize the best system for your family’s needs. Just contact (203) 402-8863 and talk to a professional or complete the form below. Or customize your own solution with our Security System Designer.