Smoke detectors are so common
you probably forget you even have them in your home,
but have you ever wondered how smoke detectors work?
How do they know?
Today, I'll be talking about the different types
of smoke detectors, and how they work, how much they cost,
and what kind of fires they're best at finding.
A quick caveat, I am not an engineer
so I won't be getting too technical in my explanations.
But if you do want to get into the weeds,
I've dropped a link below to a video I found really helpful
from an engineer guy who goes into the guts
of an ionization detector.
We've also dropped links to our fire safety guide
and the best smoke detectors line up on SafeWise.com.
So if you wanna check those out,
those are also in the description.
Let's get to those burning questions.
There are two main types of smoke detectors:
photoelectric and ionization.
Each of these can detect smoke and fire,
but each has its own strengths and weaknesses.
You can also find combination smoke detectors
that have both types of sensors.
I'll go over those in a second.
Photoelectric smoke alarms have a light source
and a photo cell inside.
On a normal day without smoke or fire,
that light aims right at its target uninterrupted.
But when smoke enters the device,
that light refracts and enters the photo cell
which triggers the alarm.
These smoke alarms can detect all types of fire,
but they work best to detect slow-burning, smoldering fires
with lots of smoke.
The average price for a photoelectric smoke detector falls
between the $30 to $60 range.
And you can find battery-powered and hardwired units
in that price range.
We'll drop links below if you wanna find one for yourself.
Ionization smoke detectors use a chemical reaction
to detect danger.
Inside the device,
you'll find two metal plates connected to a battery
that creates a circuit.
Between those plates is a small amount of americium,
a radioactive element that ionizes the air
and completes the circuit.
When smoke enters that detector,
the circuit breaks and triggers the alarm.
Just like photoelectric sensors,
when that stream is interrupted,
you'll hear... (smoke detector beeping)
And like photo electric sensors,
these ionization sensors can detect all types of fires
but they tend to be more responsive to flaming fires.
They also tend to be a little cheaper.
The ones we found range between $10 and $30.
You can also find hardwired
and battery-powered models in this type.
Combination or dual sensor smoke detectors
have both photoelectric and ionization chambers inside.
This means that they're better
at detecting different types of fires:
those slow-burning, smoldering ones
that produce lots of smoke,
and those fast burning fires with lots of flames.
Because of this,
combination smoke detectors are the better of the bunch.
And smart smoke detectors like Nest Protect use
both photoelectric and ionization methods.
The ones we found without smart features fall
between $30 and $60
and come in hardwire and battery-powered.
In the end, the type of smoke detector you use
isn't as important.
The really important factor
is that you have them in the right places around your home,
test them regularly,
and change the batteries when necessary.
None of these devices will be much use without power.
Hey, if you're part of the 10% of people who watch this far,
or my parents, thanks for watching.
Don't stop there though.
We have a ton of other resources on SafeWise.com
that you can check out.
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Thanks for watching and stay safe.
(bright music)