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What's the difference between traditional smoke detectors vs. monitored fire alarms in Saginaw?

August 08, 2022
smoke alarm detector on the ceiling

In the Saginaw smoke detector vs. monitored fire alarm argument, it's obvious that a monitored fire alarm is the better choice"> for your home. Smoke detectors are an important line of defense in shielding your house from a dangerous blaze, but they have a few concerning shortcomings. Alternatively, monitored fire alarms offer more means to discover a potentially dangerous situation and may contact a monitoring team when disaster strikes. Pairing your fire alarms to a comprehensive smart home also delivers additional benefits that your regular smoke detectors could only wish for.

Regular smoke alarms will only do this one thing

Fire safety is important, and smoke detectors play a critical part in safeguarding your family. Despite that fact, smoke detectors have some shortcomings. To illustrate, they can only identify smoke, not extreme temperatures. When there is a blaze starting in your residence, you may not be cautioned unless the smoke rises to the smoke detector. Even though there are additional telltale signs of fire -- such as a sudden rise in heat -- if you don’t have smoke, you will fail to get a triggered smoke detector.

In addition, smoke detectors only activate when they detect enough smoke. When a fire creeps along slowly at first, you might not be alerted until the situation is out of hand. Many smoke detectors use dual-sensor technology, which means they will detect smoke from both a blazing inferno and a more gradual burn. If they start beeping, it's up to the resident to notify the fire department after safely leaving the property.

Monitored fire alarms do much more than standard smoke detectors

While they have a similar appearance to regular smoke detectors, monitored fire alarms can do much more. If linked to a total home security system, they will:

  • Detect fire with multi-sensor technology: Comparable to a standard smoke detector, your monitored alarm will engage from a roaring blaze or smoldering embers. It will resonate an easily audible alarm when it perceives a potential disaster.
  • Discover fire from a rapid temperature increase: A monitored fire alarm may also go off if it senses an uncommon increase in heat. Many times, heat arrives before smoke. Added methods to identify a fire equates to extra ways to safeguard your family.
  • Alerts your dedicated monitoring specialists: Fires may happen when you are at your house or not. No matter of the situation, your fire alarms will warn your monitoring team, who are able to quickly contact first responders. When every moment matters, it's great to have the knowledge that somebody is always looking out for your house.
  • Integrates with home automation: While the main purpose of a fire alarm is to recognize dangerous situations and request help, it can also connect to other automated components. For example, a tripped alarm could prompt your system to turn on the exhaust fan to hinder the flames or initiate the lights so you can see the best way out of the property.

Your monitored fire alarms are an important aspect of a complete smart home

The simplest way to optimize your fire alarms is to connect them with a Vivint home security system. Speak with a Vivint expert today and find the ideal smart home for your requirements. Call (989) 461-3399 or complete the form below to get started.