A functioning smoke detector is a necessity and we all know it. Wired or battery, elaborate or basic, diligent or intelligent, smoke detectors and their carbon monoxide companions have come a long way in recent years.
Today, we have a variety of great choices on the market to do this essential job. Some models incorporate both of these services into a single system, backing a hard-wired setup with batteries. There are even some products that talk to you, or pinpoint problems to the room, and others that can be reached when you are out of town.
Ionization sensor
Power failure? No problem. First Alert takes the hard choice out of the equation with their hardwired/battery backup 6-pack of alarms. A 9-volt battery provides assurance that your home is protected no matter what’s happening outside, broadcasting a loud sound that measures 85 decibels. When one goes off, they all do. Another thing to like: even after the problem has been identified and rectified, the latching alarm indicator lets you know which of the set did its job, enabling you to better locate the issue moving forward.
Operates through an app
Leave it to Google to have a smoke/carbon monoxide detector that talks. Not only that, but the friendly voice that alerts you to a problem also assures you each night that your battery is juiced and working – it tests itself for you. It also tells you where your smoke or flame is located, or where the concentration of carbon monoxide lies. A smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector that speaks up in a friendly voice to give you an early warning when there’s smoke or CO in your home. Another handy feature – you can also turn it off from your phone if you’re away.
Combines best of all worlds
It beeps out danger. It talks when it is required to. It chirps when it needs attention. And it has a hush function for those times when it fails to appreciate the smoke created by that great recipe you are concocting in the kitchen. There are some nice features in the Kidde hardwire/battery combo, including a safeguard design that prevents mounting it accidentally without batteries. Like its better competitors, it detects smoke, flames, and carbon monoxide.
A sound investment
There’s a lot to like here, beginning with the built-in lithium battery that is engineered to last the 10-year length of the alarm’s life. The battery is a backup to the hard-wired 3-alarm grouping, all of which sound 85-decibel alarms should smoke, fire, or carbon monoxide be detected by any of them. Another thing to like is its easy-to-read LCD face and three-color warning system. A solid choice for any home or office.
Easy mounting
This 6-pack of battery operated alarms has all the familiar traits of the tried and true setups we’ve come to know. Test the alarm by pressing the button for 5 or more seconds. A signal tells you when it runs low. The 85-decibel sound is as loud as more elaborate models. It also has a design that prevents mounting it without the battery, so you are assured that, if it’s on your ceiling or wall and it’s not chirping, it’s still doing its job.
S. Ruxton is a contributing writer to Florida Travel & Life, an online brand that inspires active, affluent travelers, providing them with insider information on discovering the best of Florida. Informative and engaging, the website showcases travel destinations, arts and cultural venues, vibrant dining scenes, recreational activities, the great outdoors and the revitalized real-estate market. A former baseball writer, S. Ruxton loves to revisit the smaller Gulf towns of Clearwater, Dunedin, and Bradenton. Historic Winter Park is also a favorite destination.
