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Is there a difference between traditional smoke detectors vs. monitored fire alarms in West Palm Beach?

August 08, 2022
smoke alarm detector on the ceiling

In the West Palm Beach smoke detector vs. monitored fire alarm debate, it's clear that a monitored fire alarm is the superior option"> for your home. Smoke detectors are an essential first step in guarding your house from emergency situations, but they have some notable drawbacks. On the other hand, monitored fire alarms have more means to discover an emergency and may contact help when disaster strikes. Linking your fire alarms to a home security system also results in extra perks that your common smoke detectors would only hope for.

Your traditional smoke alarms in West Palm Beach may be falling short

Fire safety is a chief concern for homeowners, and smoke detectors play an essential part in keeping your family safe. Even so, smoke detectors have various drawbacks. For instance, they can only detect smoke, not high temps. If there is an emergency in your residence, you may not be warned before the smoke reaches the smoke detector. While there are further unmistakable signals of fire -- like a marked increase in warmth -- if there’s a lack of smoke, you will fail to get a sounding of your smoke detector.

What’s more, smoke detectors only beep if they find an adequate amount of smoke. If a fire begins slowly, you may not be warned until the situation is out of hand. Many smoke detectors employ dual sensors, which means they will be able to perceive smoke from both roaring flames and something less intense. Whenever they sound their alarm, it's up to the occupant to call the fire department after they safely leave the premises.

Monitored fire alarms provide more value than standard smoke detectors

Although they have a similar appearance to standard smoke detectors, monitored fire alarms offer more benefits. When integrated to a complete home security installation, they will:

  • Discern fire with dual-sensor smoke detection: Like an ordinary smoke detector, your monitored component can engage from a roaring blaze or smoldering embers. It will emit a high-decibel warning whenever it senses a potential disaster.
  • Detect fire from a abrupt rise in heat: Your monitored fire alarm can also trigger if it senses an unusual increase in heat. Frequently, heat is noticed prior to smoke. Added means to detect a fire means more methods to safeguard your family.
  • Warns trained monitoring agents: Fires can happen when you are at your house or not. No matter of the situation, your fire alarms will notify your monitoring agents, who are able to quickly contact first responders. When every moment matters, it's great to know that someone is consistently watching over your house.
  • Connects to home automation: While the primary job of a fire alarm is to identify an emergency and notify monitoring agents, it can also integrate with other automated equipment. To illustrate, a triggered alarm could prompt your system to turn on the exhaust fan to impede the flames or initiate smart light bulbs so you can find the quickest path out of the property.

Your monitored fire alarms are part of a complete smart home

The simplest approach to optimize your fire alarms is to integrate them with a Vivint home security system. Contact a Vivint security agent today and discover the most suitable smart home for your needs. Call (561) 556-7696 or complete the following form to begin.