How to Choose the Best Smoke Alarms for Your Home

In home fires, early warning is critical. So don’t wait until it’s too late.

Smoke alarms are one of the best and least expensive ways to provide early warning when a fire begins. When properly installed and maintained, smoke alarms can help prevent injuries and minimize property damage. And when you look at the facts, it’s clear that, in many cases, they mean the difference between life and death.

• Nearly half of the nation’s fire deaths occur in the four percent of homes that do not have smoke alarms. (NFPA)
• The risk of dying in homes without smoke alarms is twice as high as it is in homes that have working smoke alarms. (Consumer Product Safety Commission)
• To help ensure that your home is protected, take a few minutes to read about types of smoke alarms and tips for proper performance.

Know your types of smoke alarms

• Ionization sensing alarms may detect invisible fire particles (associated with fast flaming fires) sooner than photoelectric alarms.
• Photoelectric sensing alarms may detect visible fire particles (associated with slow smoldering fires) sooner than ionization alarms. 

Studies show both types will effectively detect either type of fire. For optimal protection, install both smoke alarm technologies in your home to maximize the chances of escape. Kidde offers both photoelectric and ionization smoke alarms, as well as a dual-sensor model, which incorporates both technologies. Learn more about this topic and view recommendations from leading fire and safety experts. Make sure your smoke alarms are working properly.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), in one out of five homes that have smoke alarms, none of the units work, mainly due to dead, missing or disconnected batteries. With this in mind, keeping your home safer is as simple as following a few tips.

• Install smoke alarms on every floor of your home, in hallways, inside bedrooms and outside of sleeping areas. On average, families have less than three minutes from the time the first smoke alarm sounds to escape a fire. The sooner you hear an alarm, the more time you will have to get out.
• Replace smoke alarms every 10 years. Alarms monitor the home every minute of every day and their lifespan is not infinite. If you don’t know how old your alarm is, you should replace it.
• Test your smoke alarm per manufacturer’s instructions and replace the batteries as needed.
• Gently vacuum your smoke alarm monthly to prevent dirt from blocking the sensor.
• Do not disable a smoke alarm in nuisance situations. Do not “borrow” smoke alarm batteries for other uses such as toys or radios.
• Develop and practice a fire escape plan with the family, so that everyone knows what to do when the alarm sounds.

How to Shop for Detectors

• Check Local Regulations – Before you shop, check regulations in your area. Your town or state might have specific requirements (such as when you sell your home) about what you need, including types of detectors and their placement. Also, some insurance companies offer a discount for homes with smoke detectors.
• Pick a Power Source – Hard-wired smoke and carbon monoxide detectors tie into your home’s wiring, which requires professional installation, and usually have backup batteries. Battery-only detectors are the simplest to install, and they work during a power failure. Some models use removable batteries that require annual replacement, while others use sealed lithium batteries that last the life of the detector. Plug-in detectors are also available, but electric outlets are typically located low on the wall, while the optimal placement for the detector is on or near the ceiling.
• Smart or Not – Smart smoke and carbon monoxide detectors give you the advantage of knowing if something’s wrong when you’re not home, but they also come with a big price tag. We also haven’t found a smart smoke and CO detector that successfully does it all. But if you do decide to outfit your home with them, we recommend also installing additional dual sensor smoke detectors. Smart detectors, whether hard-wired or battery-powered, will also interconnect with other detectors of the same model.
• Look for the UL Stamp – Check the detector packaging to make sure it meets the Underwriters Laboratories Standard—look for the UL label. You should also look for the date of manufacture printed on the back of the detectors. Devices lose their sensitivity over time, so the fresher, the better. As a rule of thumb, replace carbon monoxide detectors every five years and smoke detectors every 10 years.
• The Truth About Interconnected Detectors – You can interconnect some smoke and carbon monoxide detectors so that all units in the house sound an alarm when any single one is triggered. Some newer homes may have wiring already in place to link the detectors. In a home without such wiring, you can buy detectors that interconnect wirelessly. These interconnected smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are an important safety feature in a home with multiple levels, although standalone detectors may be adequate for a small, single-level home.
• Consider Voice Alerts – Children tend to sleep more deeply than adults and may not awaken to a conventional alarm. Some smoke and combination smoke and carbon monoxide detectors use a voice command, but it’s not confirmed whether that’s the most effective way to wake children. According to one study, a greater percentage of children ages 6 through 12 awoke to the sound of their mother’s prerecorded voice than to a tone alarm.
• Consider Your Security System – You can incorporate some smoke and carbon monoxide detectors into a system that sounds an alarm outside and inside the house. Such systems may also have a monitoring service that can notify the police or fire department, or even call your cell phone.

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