How Do Interconnectable Smoke Detectors Work?

What are Interconnectable Smoke Detectors?

Smoke detectors are necessary safety devices for any home. The vast majority of homeowners use battery-operated smoke detectors. Interconnectable smoke detectors are another option. Interconnectable smoke detectors can be hard-wired together throughout the house or can have one main hard-wired unit that sends a radio signal to wireless units throughout the house.

How Do They Work?

Units that are wired together use the home's electrical power as their power source. They also have a battery back-up in case the home loses electricity. When one unit senses smoke, it emits a warning (a series of beeps or buzzes) and all connected units sound the warning as well. The wireless units work in the same manner. The differences being that the wireless units rely on battery power only, and the signal is sent through radio waves to other units when one unit senses smoke.

Advantages of Interconnectable Smoke Detectors

The primary advantage of interconnectable units is that if there is smoke detected in one area of the house, all the units sound a warning. This ensures that the warning is heard even if you are not in the area where the danger is detected. An advantage of hard-wired units is that they have multiple power sources.