We've been in our house (bought new) for 12 years. This morning (5:40AM, everyone was asleep) our smoke detectors, of the wired whole-house variety that were installed when the house was built, ...

Lee Wallender is a home improvement writer of nearly 20 years and specializes in home remodeling, repair and maintenance. Sami Allen is the managing editor at Forbes Home, with over seven years of ...

Juan has been a home inspector for 10 years and runs a successful home inspection company in Richmond, VA. He loves inspecting homes, but his real passion is educating home owners and newer inspectors ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Properly installed smoke detectors are often the first line of defense against a house fire, keeping the homeowner informed and ...

Ionization smoke alarms use a battery and two metal plates, called electrodes, to create an electrical circuit. Ions are tiny ...

Q: My home has hard-wired smoke detectors. How often do I need to replace them, and what kind of replacements do I need? Can I do it myself, or do I need a professional? And if I need a pro, what kind ...

Installing and maintaining smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors can save your life. Fortunately, they’re inexpensive and easy to put in place. Basic smoke detectors cost as little as $15 and ...

When you move into or buy a new home, no one hands you a guide to how the smoke detectors work. They "chirp," which really means shriek loudly, and you occasionally have to put new batteries in them.

We put smoke alarms and heat alarms through rigorous tests in accordance with the British Standard to find the best and safest for your home. Smoke alarms need to sound quickly when they detect smoke ...