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Is there a difference between standard smoke detectors vs. monitored fire alarms in Sioux City?

August 08, 2022
smoke alarm detector on the ceiling

In the Sioux City smoke detector vs. monitored fire alarm argument, there’s easily only one victor. Smoke detectors are an important line of defense in guarding your house from emergency situations, but they have a few concerning limitations. Alternatively, monitored fire alarms have more means to identify a fire and may notify help when disaster strikes. Connecting your fire alarms to a home security system also results in various extra benefits that your common smoke detectors would only dream about.

Your regular smoke alarms in Sioux City might be inadequate

Protecting your home from fire is important, and smoke detectors perform a vital role in shielding your family. However, smoke detectors have some limitations. For instance, they can only detect smoke, not extreme temperatures. When there is a fire in your house, you may not be warned before the smoke rises to the smoke detector. Although there are additional telltale signals of fire -- like a sudden heat increase -- if there's no smoke, you won’t have a sounding of your smoke detector.

What’s more, smoke detectors only sound the alarm when they encounter an adequate amount of smoke. In the event a fire creeps along slowly at first, you might not be warned until the situation is out of hand. Various smoke detectors utilize dual sensors, meaning they will recognize smoke from both a blazing inferno and something less intense. Then when they start beeping, it falls to the resident to contact the fire department after they safely leave the property.

Monitored fire alarms offer more benefits than ordinary smoke detectors

Even though they have a similar appearance to standard smoke detectors, monitored fire alarms have added advantages. When integrated to a comprehensive home security installation, they can:

  • Discern fire with different sensor types: Comparable to an ordinary smoke detector, your monitored alarm can engage from an active or passive fire. It will sound a high-volume beeping whenever it senses danger.
  • Identify fire with a sudden temperature increase: Your monitored fire alarm may even activate if it senses an abnormal increase in heat. Frequently, heat comes before smoke. Having additional ways to uncover a fire leads to more means to protect your loved ones.
  • Notifies your dedicated monitoring agents: Fires can take place whether you are at your house or not. Regardless, your fire alarms will alert your monitoring agents, who are able to quickly contact the fire department. When every moment matters, it's comforting to realize that someone is consistently keeping a watch of your residence.
  • Integrates with home automation: Even though the main purpose of a fire alarm is to identify fire and notify monitoring agents, it will also join forces with other automated equipment. To illustrate, a activated alarm can induce your system to turn on the exhaust fan to impede the spread of fire or trigger lighting so you can locate the quickest exit out of the property.

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

The simplest approach to get the most from your fire alarms is to connect them with a Vivint home security system. Speak with a Vivint security agent today and discover the most suitable smart home for your family. Diall (712) 600-3453 or submit the form below to begin.