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It has been proven over an over again that smoke detectors can save lives. We are constantly reminded about the need to make sure that all the smoke detectors in our home are working properly. Do you have the appropriate smoke detectors installed in your home? Have you checked the batteries recently to make sure that they are functioning properly? Since the answer to these questions could potentially save the lives of you and your family, it is important to give them serious consideration.

It is important to recognize that you need more than just one smoke alarm. Fire safety councils recommend that there should be one in every bedroom of the home. They also need to be mounted properly to be truly effective, and since heat rises this means high up on a wall or on the ceiling if possible. Smoke detectors also need to be installed away from doors, windows, and anywhere else that a draft may cause the smoke detector not to operate properly.

What does it mean to regularly test a smoke detector? How often should it be done? Most professionals suggest that all smoke detectors should be tested once a month to ensure that they are functioning properly and if the smoke detector is not functioning properly the batteries should be replaced immediately. It has even been suggested that the batteries in smoke detectors should be replaced once a year just as a general principle.

Another thing that many people do not realize is that there are a variety of different kinds of smoke detectors. Ionization smoke detectors are able to detect particles of smoke that are too small to be visible. As these smoke particles pass through the detector they reduce the ionization in the ionization chamber and disrupt the electrical current causing the alarm to go off. This kind of smoke detector is usually less expensive than the optical variety and they are sometimes prone to give off false alarms, but really an occasional false alarm is better than no alarm at all.

Photoelectric smoke detectors work by using the light scatter principle to detect smoke. For the best results, it is a good idea to use both a photoelectric and a ionization smoke detector in conjunction with one another.

Heat alarms are calibrated for a specific temperature and are usually recommended in kitchens. These alarms tend to be a bit more expensive than ionization alarms. Heat alarms work differently and they are usually placed in rooms where smoke might be part of the natural environment of the room and where ionization or optical smoke detectors might not be effective.

When it comes to the safety of your family there is definitely not room to cut corners. If you do not have the proper smoke detectors installed in your home now is the time to go out and purchase them and install them properly. If you have not checked your existing smoke detectors or heat alarms recently to make sure that they are in working order, then check them out today. It could save your and your family’s life.