Differences Between Smoke Detectors

Method of Detection

• Smoke detectors vary in how they detect fires. Ionization smoke detectors are designed to sound if a rapidly-progressing or flaming fire occurs, while photoelectric detectors sense smoldering fires. For both ionization and photoelectric detection, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends a dual sensor smoke alarm. If you're interested in both smoke and carbon monoxide, you can purchase a combination smoke plus CO alarm as well.

Power Source Differences

• While it will cost roughly $250 per unit to install, hard-wired smoke detectors work with your home's internal wiring, can be interconnected with every alarm in the home, and are equipped with a battery-operated backup system if your home loses power. A much-less expensive alternative is a battery-operated model. Battery-operated detectors will alert you even if your home loses power, and most will chirp when batteries need replacement, which ranges from one year to lifetime. Like battery-operated detectors, plug-in models are cheap and effective but often are limited to floor-level placement.

Special Features

• If you're hearing-impaired, consider purchasing a strobe or vibrating alarm, which sets off strobe lights or strong vibrations if a fire is detected. In homes with children or heavy sleepers, voice alarms offer a powerful alternative to the standard alarm sound, and some models offer personalized voice recording. Depending on the manufacturer, some smoke detectors are equipped with safety lights that illuminate darkened rooms, remote-control mute buttons, battery-low voice messaging, and hush buttons, which silence an alarm with the touch of a finger.

Safety Certification

• Before opting for a smoke detector that offers a lot of bells and whistles, the National Fire Protection Association recommends that you look for a label from a recognized testing organization. The Underwriters Laboratories smoke detector label is UL Standard 217, while UL-approved CO detectors are labeled as UL Standard 2034.