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Consumer Reports: New Smoke Alarms

With so many people cooking this holiday season, it's vital that we all have working smoke alarms in the home. If you're not sure if the one you have at home is functioning, now is the best time to find out.

Often, the difference between life and death in a fire is a working smoke alarm. Fire prevention officer JT Camp and his team remind people twice per year to pay extra attention to their home's smoke alarms.

"A dead detector in a home is pretty much useless," he said.

But here's what you might not know: If your smoke alarm is more than 10 years old, it's time for a new one as the sensors inside can lose sensitivity. 

"The biggest thing we push is change your clock, change your battery," Camp said.

Consumer Reports tests smoke detectors by creating two types of common household fires.

"Smoldering fire and we have a fast fire. So two different conditions," Consumer Reports' Bernie Deitrick said.

Photoelectric alarms are best at detecting smoky, slow-building fires, while ionization alarms are best at detecting fast, flaming fires. So which is better for your home? 

"The sensors aren't better than the other. They're complementary," Deitrick said. "That's why we always recommend that you get an alarm that has both types of sensors."

Consumer Reports says the best type of alarms have a dual sensor and can be interconnected. Two $30 models from Kidde and First Alert are top-rated: the Kidde PI 2010 and the First Alert 3120 B.

"When they're interconnected, if one alarm goes off, every alarm in your house is gonna go off," Deitrick said. "That will protect you from a distant fire and give you more time to get out of the house."

Some newer smoke alarms are made with lithium-ion batteries that last as long as the unit. These batteries are not replaceable.

Consumer Reports says it's a good idea to note in permanent marker on the back of the alarm when you got the alarm and when you should replace it. 

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