General Electrical Maintenance Costs Near Prior Lake, MN

Different Types of Smoke Detectors Metro Air Heating & Cooling Can Install In Your Prior Lake, MN Home

When installing smoke detectors in your Prior Lake, MN home, you will want to choose the best type of detector for you and your family’s needs. Smoke detectors vary in both their sources of power and their method of smoke detection. Each type of smoke detector has its benefits and downsides, depending on what the homeowner is looking for.

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.

Opt for Metro Air Heating & Cooling Installed Carbon Monoxide Detectors Instead of Plug-ins

Carbon monoxide detectors come in different models, just like smoke detectors. One common model is a plug-in carbon monoxide detector that fits into the electrical outlets of your Prior Lake, MN home, which can be found in many stores and pharmacies. Although these models are convenient, they are not the safest choice for your family. Most standard electrical outlets are near the floor, which makes them inadequate when it comes to CO detection. Carbon monoxide, like most gasses, rises to fill the room that it is in, meaning that carbon monoxide detectors near the floor may not detect higher levels of CO until it is too late.

Just like smoke detectors, Metro Air Heating & Cooling can install either battery-powered or hardwired carbon monoxide detectors on the walls of your home, where they will be more effective at keeping you and your family safe. Some Prior Lake, MN homeowners even choose to install combination smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, so that they will be prepared for either a fire or carbon monoxide leak at all times.

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