More than 4000 people are killed every year on the scene of a house fire. In 2010 alone, fire departments responded to over 380,000 house fires. A smoke detector can save your life and your home from being destroyed by a fire and can even help you save money on your homeowner’s insurance.

Smoke detectors are a very inexpensive way to protect your home and the ones you love. They can either be wired into your home or they can run off a simple 9 volt battery. The smoke detector can be photoelectric, which means it visually senses the presence of fire by a break in a beam of light, or an ionization detector which senses smoke through a built in ionization chamber. Once smoke is detected, the smoke detector will produce a very loud beeping sound to alert anyone inside the home that there is a fire.

One of the most dangerous aspects of a house fire is smoke inhalation. When a fire breaks out, the home could fill up with smoke before the fire itself becomes a threat. If you and your family are sleeping in the home, you might not wake up because of the smoke. If you inhale dangerous amounts of the smoke, you could be rendered unconscious and unable to get out of the home. A smoke detector will sound a loud alarm so that you wake up and have time to get you and your family to safety.

If you have a smoke detector in your home, your homeowner’s insurance premium will be reduced drastically. You must be sure to check your smoke detectors regularly because if you have a house fire and it is found that your smoke detectors were not functioning properly, the insurance company can reduce or deny your claim in some states if you took a smoke detector deduction on your rates.

Having a smoke detector in your home is crucial for the protection of you family. For as little as 7 dollars, you can have more peace of mind that your home and the ones you love will be safe.