Smoke & CO Detector Installation Near Prior Lake, MN

Although many stores sell smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, it is best to have a certified electrician install smoke detectors in your home. Having a Metro Air Heating & Cooling professional install your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors will ensure everything is done correctly and up to code. You can probably replace battery-powered detectors on your own, but you should call the professionals at Metro Air Heating & Cooling to replace hardwired ones. Unsure of which type of detector you have? Give us a call at (952) 592-9053!

A battery-powered smoke detector or a hardwired smoke detector can last up to 10 years, at which time you should replace the whole unit. Carbon monoxide detectors typically last between five and seven years. Consult your manufacturer’s manual to determine the recommendation for your specific models.

Smoke detectors should be installed high on your Prior Lake, MN home’s walls or near the center of the ceilings, and at least 10 feet away from your kitchen and any cooking appliances. Carbon monoxide detectors should be installed either on a wall about five feet above the floor, or on the ceiling six inches away from the wall.

Both smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are two of the most important safety devices you can have in your Prior Lake, MN home. Metro Air Heating & Cooling recommends that every household have both smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors to keep you and your family safe.

The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, dizziness, feeling sick or being sick, feeling weak, confusion, chest and muscle pain, and shortness of breath. If you or any family members begin experiencing these symptoms, open the windows in your home, exit your Prior Lake, MN home immediately, and call emergency services.

There are two main types of smoke detectors that differ in their power sources:

• Hardwired Smoke Detectors: A hardwired smoke detector draws its power from your Prior Lake, MN home’s electrical grid during normal usage, and also has backup battery power in the event of a power outage. These batteries rarely run out, but require frequent tests to ensure that they don’t need to be replaced. Hardwired smoke detectors tend to be favored due to their ability to communicate with the other smoke detectors in the household. If one were to detect smoke in the basement, the other smoke detectors would also sound the alarm, providing your family with more time to get out of the house or put out the fire.
• Battery-Powered Smoke Detectors: These smoke detectors are powered solely by batteries, which need to be tested and replaced regularly. Most battery-powered detectors aren’t connected to a network and will only sound an alarm when directly exposed to smoke or flames. Battery-powered smoke detectors have simpler installation than hardwired smoke detectors, and can be placed anywhere in a home without too much effort.

Smoke detectors can also differ based on how they detect smoke:

• Ionization: These smoke detectors have a continuous current running between two electrodes, and when this current is interrupted by smoke, the alarm sounds. Ionization detectors respond more quickly to flaming fires, but they tend to sound off false alarms if they are placed too close to kitchen appliances or showers, where steam may trigger the alarm.
• Photoelectric: This type of detector works by using a small LED light and a light sensor. When the air is clear of smoke, the LED light can shine straight ahead and the light sensor doesn’t detect it, but in a smoky room, the LED light will be scattered, and the sensor will sound the alarm. Photoelectric detectors respond more quickly to smoldering fires that produce a lot of smoke.

Neither type of smoke detection is better than the other, and the experts at Metro Air Heating & Cooling may recommend using a combination of ionization and photoelectric in your home for optimal smoke detection. Regardless of the type of smoke detector you have installed in your Prior Lake, MN home, you need to test them on a regular basis to ensure that they are in good working condition.