Searching for the best smoke and carbon monoxide detector can be a confusing task. There are many different features to sift through and choose from. This article will show you the options to choose from. Pick only the best smoke detector the first time. You will be able to find it after going through this article.
Once you are ready, you can find the right one at The Best Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector article. That is where the top picks in each category are for you to choose from. Read further to get a better understanding of what the top features are.
Features
The most important function of a fire alarm is to warn you of danger when smoke is present. Nowadays there are other features that come with them. You may want one with a built in carbon monoxide alarm. This alerts you when there is a danger of carbon monoxide poisoning, without requiring a separate device.
The interconnected feature will alert you of a fire in a separate room of your home, even when you are not in that room. There are wireless models that will connect to each other, making it possible to have this feature without requiring a hardwired line in your home. This is especially nice for larger homes.
I like the options that have built in app control. This means your alarm can connect to an app on your smartphone, sending you an alert when it is triggered. It also allows you to turn off the alarm from your phone.
Battery Life
A battery powered smoke detector may offer a time range for their battery life. Some of the options listed above have built-in lithium batteries that don’t get changed for the entirety of its use. Ones with 9 volt batteries should be changed every 6 months.
There are some models that make it easy to change the batteries. They have a built-in hatch in the front, allowing easy access to the battery without taking the entire unit down.
Safety
When looking for the safest smoke detector, you want to find one that offers both a photoelectric, and ionization sensor. This will alert you for either fire type more quickly. Some smoke detectors offer a monitoring service which will alert the fire department when there is a fire. This drastically speeds up the response time, giving a better chance to save your home.
Popular Brands
There are several reliable brands of smoke detectors worth mentioning. The ones I am about to talk about have all been listed in this article already. Two that have been around for a very long time are Kidde and First Alert. Both of these have different options with numerous built-in features.
Other brands worth mentioning are Google Nest Protect, and X Sense. These have some really cool features that make them worth looking at if you want a more modern smoke detector.
Interconnectivity
Some smoke detectors are capable of being interconnected. This means they can be linked together, allowing them to communicate with one another. These smoke detectors can be programmed in different zones of the home. This makes it easy for you to find the fire if you are not in the same area as the smoke.
There are two main ways to use this feature. One option is to use an interconnected smoke detector. You can do this if you live in a home that is prewired for them. Depending on what state you live in any home built after around 1992 will have the wiring for this option built in.
This is the “hard wired” option when looking at purchasing smoke detectors. Not every home has this feature, but that’s okay because there is another option to get your smoke detectors to talk to one another.
The other way is for you to purchase several of the same smoke detectors with wireless interconnectivity built in. This means they will be talking to each other wirelessly, alerting you of a fire in one area of the home when you are in another, and not near the smoke.
I will be discussing the best options for smoke detectors with these features down below. Keep reading to learn more about the interconnectivity feature as well as other features for smoke detectors.
Smoke and CO Detector Buyer's Guide
Once you have looked over this Buyer’s guide, I put together The Best Smoke and CO Detectors for you to choose from. These are a short list of the best models that for any home’s situation. Take a look at that article to make your decision.
But now lets talk about the different types of smoke detectors, and their sensor styles. These are helpful to know because different sensors have different functions. Any of the sensor types are going to detect smoke. there are different types of smoke to be aware of. If you can find a model with dual sensors, you are much better off.
Types of Smoke Detectors
Smoke detectors are available with two sensor types. These are each efficient at alerting you of a particular type of smoke more quickly. This does not mean that one sensor type will not work on the other type of smoke. There are different types of smoke that each sensor is quicker at finding.
Photoelectric Smoke Detectors
The photoelectric sensor is efficient at alerting you to smoke with larger particles. This is present in smoldering fires that do not have much of a visible flame. These fires are capable of burning for days before becoming a bigger issue. Think of a campfire at the end of the night when all that’s left are smoldering coals.
This sensor works by a led light that shoots across a chamber. There is a sensor that is perpendicular to the beam, and won’t trigger the alarm unless the light hits it. This happens when the light reflects off a smoke particle and bounces towards the sensor.
The sensor may be susceptible to dust accumulating on it over time. A monthly maintenance of blowing compressed air on the alarm will help make sure the alarm is in optimal working order. Another option is to go with a smoke alarm with an ionization sensor if your location allows them.
Ionization Smoke Detectors
The ionization sensor is good at detecting smoke with fine particles. This type of smoke is common in fires with fast burning flames.
The ionization sensor works by utilizing a chamber that houses ions being held in place with an electric charge. The sensor knows exactly how many ions there are, and therefore knows when they are disturbed. When smoke enters the chamber, the ions bond with the smoke, pulling them away and causing the alarm to trip.
Dual Sensor Smoke Detectors
The dual sensor smoke alarm has the best of both sensor worlds. You no longer need to buy two smoke detectors to have both sensor options in your home. You get all the benefits of each sensor type, and are covered for fire burning in more types of materials.
Hard Wired vs Battery Operated
Hard wired smoke detectors are physically connected with a wire. This is the interconnected feature discussed above. There are pros and cons to this feature. The most important pro is they will alert you when you are in a different room nowhere near the smoke. With some models you can set different zones, allowing the alarm to alert you to which zone the smoke is in. This is nice for larger homes.
These are also powered directly by an ac power source. This means you don’t need to change the batteries as frequently. The hard wired alarm models available today also include a battery backup, ensuring they will continue running even in the event of a power outage.
Battery operated smoke detectors run off a battery inside the unit. The main downside to a battery operated smoke detector may be changing the batteries. There are models that you won’t be able to change the batteries. These are lithium ion batteries that last 10 years which is the lifespan of the smoke alarm.
Smart Features
There is an array of smart features available in modern smoke detectors. This can range from shining a night light onto the floor when you are walking down the hall in the dark, to being able to point out what part of the room the smoke is coming from. Some smoke detectors will alert your phone that there is smoke at your home, even if you’re not there.
One of the most important smart features is Monitoring. This will notify the fire department if there is smoke at your house. I particularly like it when the alarm turns off the airflow in your home, reducing the amount of fresh oxygen feeding the fire.
Monitoring
The monitoring feature with some smoke detectors is potentially life saving. This is when a smoke detector is tripped, it sends a signal to an emergency response team like the fire department, speeding up the time for them to arrive on the scene. In a crisis like this every second is precious. This gives the ability to potentially save more lives and have less destruction of property. Additional fees may apply for this feature.
Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide is extremely dangerous when allowed to build up in an enclosed space. This is why there are many smoke detectors on the market that also include a sensor for carbon monoxide. This is not always necessary, but it is nice to have something that houses both sensors in one place.
There can be a host of reasons CO can build up in a home. A couple options would be poorly ventilated gas appliances, or wood burning devices like fireplaces.
Thankfully there are several types of carbon monoxide alarms on the market, making it easy and affordable for you to protect your family in an event like this.
For a more in-depth discussion on where to put these devices in your home, visit my article on Smoke And Carbon Monoxide Placement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my smoke detector going off when there is no smoke?
One possible reason why your smoke detector is going off when there is no smoke in the air is because its batteries are low. The sensitivity of the sensor increases when the battery power gets low. This will likely cause false alarms.
Another reason that causes false alarms is too much pollution in the air. Unfortunately air quality can be pretty bad in some areas. The best solution for this is to close the windows and turn on your air purifier.
Are there different types of smoke detectors?
There are two different types of sensors used in a smoke detector. The first one is called ionization which is better at noticing fine particle smoke from active flames. The second is a photoelectric sensor which will alert you to larger particle smoke produced from a smoldering flame more quickly. There are also dual sensor units that have both types of sensors built in.
How many smoke detectors should I have in my house?
The number of smoke detectors in your house is determined by the size of the house. A good guideline is there should be one in each sleeping room, one in the main living area, and one on each level of the house including the basement. Some states also require additional carbon monoxide detectors. To learn more about this question check out my article on Placement Of Smoke Detectors.
What smoke detector do firemen recommend?
Each of the two sensor types have different strengths. That’s why the USFA recommends using a fire alarm with both ionization and photoelectric sensors. This will ensure you have both sensor options working for you to help warn of fire dangers.
What is the most reliable type of smoke detector?
The dual sensor alarm is the most reliable type of smoke detector. Both sensor types are quicker than the other at alerting specific types of smoke. You will have an ionization alarm that picks up fast burning flame fires, as well as a photoelectric sensor for any slow burning smoldering fires.
Conclusion
There is no need for you to feel overwhelmed when making a decision like this one. There are many great options out there to choose from. Once you narrow down the features you want that’s in the price range, you then have found your ideal model.
I like to have all the same models in my home. Even though this isn’t completely necessary, I like to have a consistency throughout my home.
I hope this article helped answer some of your questions. Take a look at The Best Smoke And CO Detectors to see my short list of models for all situations.
You Got This,
Kevin
