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Is there a difference between traditional smoke detectors vs. monitored fire alarms in Tampa?

August 08, 2022
smoke alarm detector on the ceiling

In the Tampa smoke detector vs. monitored fire alarm debate, it's clear that a monitored fire alarm is the preferred choice"> for your family. Smoke detectors are an essential consideration in protecting your house from fire, but they have some notable limitations. On the other hand, monitored fire alarms provide more methods to discover a potentially dangerous situation and are able to contact help when disaster strikes. Connecting your fire alarms to a home security system also delivers many extra advantages that your common smoke detectors can only hope for.

The drawbacks of traditional smoke alarms in [[targetlocaion]]

Fire safety is a chief concern for homeowners, and smoke detectors play a vital role in safeguarding your family. However, smoke detectors have their drawbacks. For example, they will only identify smoke, not heat. When there is a fire in your home, you might not be warned before the smoke reaches the smoke detector. Even though there are some other significant signals of fire -- like a sudden increase in warmth -- if there's no smoke, you will fail to get a warning from your smoke detector.

What’s more, smoke detectors only beep if they detect an adequate amount of smoke. When a fire starts small, you might not be cautioned until it's too late. Many smoke detectors use more than one sensor, which means they will recognize smoke from both a raging fire and something less intense. Then when they start beeping, it's up to the homeowner to call emergency services after they safely leave the property.

Monitored fire alarms offer more benefits than standard smoke detectors

Even though they look like regular smoke detectors, monitored fire alarms offer more benefits. If integrated to a total home security installation, they will:

  • Identify fire with dual-sensor smoke detection: Similar to an ordinary smoke detector, this monitored alarm will engage from an intense fire or one that has just started smoking. It will sound a high-decibel beeping whenever it senses a hazardous situation.
  • Detect fire due to a abrupt temperature increase: A monitored fire alarm will also trigger if it notices an uncommon fluctuation in temperature. Typically, heat arrives before smoke. More methods to identify a fire leads to extra methods to protect your loved ones.
  • Warns professional monitoring specialists: Fires may happen whether you are on site or somewhere else. Regardless, your fire alarms will notify your monitoring specialists, who are able to swiftly call first responders. When seconds count, it's comforting to realize that somebody is constantly keeping a watch of your home.
  • Integrates with home automation: Even though the main purpose of a fire alarm is to detect an emergency and request help, it will also connect to other automated equipment. To illustrate, a tripped alarm can induce your system to start the exhaust fan to impede the spread of fire or turn on smart light bulbs so you can see the safest path out of the house.

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

The easiest method to maximize the functionality of your fire alarms is to integrate them with a Vivint home security system. Consult with a Vivint specialist today and discover the ideal smart home for your requirements. Place a call to (813) 590-1845 or submit the form on this page to take the first step toward a safer property.