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Is there a difference between regular smoke detectors vs. monitored fire alarms in Hoover?

August 08, 2022
smoke alarm detector on the ceiling

In the Hoover smoke detector vs. monitored fire alarm discussion, there’s only one champion. Smoke detectors are an essential line of defense in guarding your place from emergency situations, but they have some notable drawbacks. Alternatively, monitored fire alarms provide more methods to detect an emergency and can notify a monitoring team when disaster strikes. Linking your fire alarms to a security system also results in many additional perks that your ordinary smoke detectors could only dream about.

Regular smoke alarms can only do this one thing

Protecting your home from fire is a crucial consideration, and smoke detectors perform a vital part in shielding your family. Despite that fact, smoke detectors have some limitations. To illustrate, they will only react to smoke, not heat. When there is an emergency in your residence, you might not be alerted until the smoke rises to the smoke detector. Even though there are further telltale indications of fire -- like a sudden heat increase -- if there's no smoke, you will fail to get a triggered smoke detector.

What’s more, smoke detectors only sound the alarm when they encounter enough smoke. In the event a fire begins slowly, you may not be alerted until the flames are out of control. Many smoke detectors employ dual-sensor technology, meaning they will detect smoke from both roaring flames and smoldering remnants. If they sound their alarm, it’s required of the resident to notify the fire department after safely leaving the premises.

Monitored fire alarms offer more benefits than regular smoke detectors

While they look like traditional smoke detectors, monitored fire alarms have added advantages. When integrated to a complete home security installation, they can:

  • Identify fire with different sensor types: Similar to an ordinary smoke detector, your monitored alarm will trigger from an intense fire or one that has just started smoking. It will sound a high-volume alarm if it senses a potential disaster.
  • Discover fire due to a sudden temperature increase: A monitored fire alarm will even trigger if it senses an uncommon increase in heat. Frequently, heat comes in advance of smoke. Added ways to detect a fire leads to additional methods to protect your loved ones.
  • Notifies your dedicated monitoring representatives: Fires can occur when you are home or away. No matter of the situation, your fire alarms will warn your monitoring team, who can swiftly call emergency services. When every moment matters, it's great to realize that someone is always watching over your residence.
  • Pairs with home automation: Although the main task of a fire alarm is to identify fire and request assistance, it may also integrate with other automated devices. To illustrate, a triggered alarm could make your system turn on the exhaust fan to hinder the flames or turn on smart light bulbs so you may see the best path out of the property.

Your monitored fire alarms are part of a complete smart home

The simplest method to maximize the functionality of your fire alarms is to pair them with a Vivint home security system. Consult with a Vivint specialist today and customize the most suitable smart home for your requirements. Place a call to (205) 898-6989 or send in the form on this page to get started.