How To Turn Off A Smoke Alarm After It Goes Off

How To Get a New Smoke Alarm

If your smoke alarm is old or malfunctioning, it might be time to replace it. Here’s what to look out for.

Types of Fire Alarms

First, get a dual alarm with sensors for both fast-moving (ionization) and slow-moving (photoelectric) fires. Fast-moving fires include a candle setting a curtain ablaze, while slow-moving fires include electric fires that start in walls.

Type of smoke alarm	Ionization	Photoelectric	Dual
Fast-moving fires	Yes	No	Yes
Slow-moving fires	No	Yes	Yes

Cost

Basic smoke detectors typically range from $10 to $30, while smart smoke detectors with advanced features can cost between $100 to $250, depending on capabilities and brand.

Power

You can either get a battery-powered or a hardwired smoke detector, the latter of which will most likely have a backup battery. If it’s the former, take battery life into consideration.

Noise Level

It’s best to get a smoke alarm of at least 85 decibels so you can hear it even when you’re sleeping. Better yet, all of your smoke alarms should be interconnected so that if one goes off, they all go off. It’s best to get either an electrician or the fire department to install hardwired alarms, though.

NOTE: 85 decibels is louder than a garbage disposal but not as loud as a blender.6

Operating Temperature

You’ll need to keep your home at a certain temperature range to suit your smoke alarm, typically about 32 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Below or above those temperatures, the alarm will stop functioning.

CO Detection

These days, most smoke alarms are bundled with CO alarms, which detect deadly carbon monoxide. If you don’t already have one, we recommend buying a combination smoke/CO alarm like the Nest Protect, one of the best smart home devices available. Learn more about how to install CO alarms.

Extra Sensing

Speaking of the Nest Protect, this device senses temperature, humidity, occupancy, and ambient light in addition to smoke and CO. While these features aren’t typical of smoke alarms, they’re cool extras to look out for if you’re willing to spend considerably more.

Self-Testing

Most modern smart smoke detectors test themselves periodically and automatically. That ensures they’re good on power and are connected to professional monitoring, if applicable. Some models even send monthly test reports to your smartphone app.

Smart Platform Integrations

It’s no secret that we love living in smart homes, where our smart lights turn on automatically, our smart garage door opens for us at the end of the day, and our smart locks make sure we’re always safe when working from home. Today’s smart smoke alarms often work with voice assistants. This allows for voice commands and seamless integration with other smart home devices. For us, that meant that our doors unlocked when our smoke alarm went off, allowing an easy exit.

Alert

The average smoke alarm has sound alerts, but others have voice alerts, color-coded light alerts, and even low-battery alerts.

Silencing

Since false alarms happen, it’s crucial for smoke alarms to have accessible silencing features. Look for models with app-based silencing or easily reachable hush buttons.

Certification

The smoke alarm should be certified by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or a state’s fire marshal.

App

If the smoke alarm is an IoT device, it should have a mobile app free of bugs. Check out the ratings and reviews on your mobile device’s official app store before purchasing a smoke detector.

Monitoring

The most protection means signing up for a smoke alarm with 24/7 professional monitoring. That means that if your alarm goes off and you’re not home and/or miss your mobile notification, someone can contact the fire department for you, no matter the time or day. Vivint is one company that offers professionally monitored smoke alarms. For more information, read our page on Vivint’s pricing.