Smoke detectors save your life in the event of a fire. You must have a smoke detector outside every bedroom in your home. We also recommend placing them in your hallways, stairways, and garage. New laws require smoke detectors that are hard-wired into your electrical wiring with a battery backup. Since the electrical components of your smoke detector break down over time, you should replace them every ten years. Batteries should be replaced yearly. Smoke detector types include the following:

Ionization – Ionization detectors work with a continuous current that runs between two electrodes. When smoke is detected, the current is interrupted. The only downside to this detector is that it thinks smoke and steam are the same things, leading to false alarms. They do respond extremely quickly to flaming fires.

Photoelectric – Photoelectric detectors respond to a reduction in light that reaches an internal photocell. The light is scattered and sounds the alarm when smoke enters the unit. These detectors respond very quickly to a smoldering fire. They do not alert you when the batteries are dead.