Even the smallest of house fires can fill your home with dangerous smoke in a few minutes. it is important that you purchase the correct smoke detectors, follow the installation instructions and have them properly tested on a regular basis.

There are two types of residential smoke detectors available: photoelectric and ionization. With a photoelectric detector, light is beamed into a chamber that contains a photocell. Smoke entering the chamber will scatter the light, enabling some of it to reach the photocell and cause an alarm. A smoldering fire will set off a photoelectric detector quicker than a flaming fire.

The ionization detector has a small amount of a radioactive element that ionizes the air which gives of a tiny electrical charge. When smoke enters this detector, the current is lowered and sets off the alarm.

Which model of detector works best? Each type has its pros and cons. Many of today’s photoelectric units are wired into your homes electrical system. This means that if there is a power outage, you will not be protected. Ionization models run on house current with a battery back up, but tend to be more susceptible to false alarms. The best of both worlds is to use ionization and photoelectric in different areas of your home.

A general rule is to have a minimum of one smoke detector for every level of your home. You should also keep these guidelines in mind:

Do not install smoke detectors close to the kitchen, furnace, garage, or just outside a bathroom door. Do not install smoke detectors in areas where the air circulation is poor, i.e. corners. Attach each detector to the ceiling, or high on a wall about 8 to 10 inches below ceiling level.

Detectors should be tested on a monthly basis. Most have a test button that makes this very easy. If your smoke detector is not equipped with a test button simple test is to just light a candle blow it out and allow the smoke to waft into the smoke detector. The smoke should set the unit into alarm.

Replace the batteries in battery-powered smoke detectors annually, on a date that you can easily remember such as your birthday, or the day you set your clocks back. When you are performing this you can also clean the inside and vent openings of the detector which will help the reliability.

For more information about First Alert smoke detectors