Lee Wallender is a home improvement writer of nearly 20 years and specializes in home remodeling, repair and maintenance. Sami Allen is the managing editor at Forbes Home, with over seven years of ...

Q: My home has hard-wired smoke detectors. How often do I need to replace them, and what kind of replacements do I need? Can I do it myself, or do I need a professional? And if I need a pro, what kind ...

There are multiple reasons to convert your home to hard-wired smoke detectors. One of the most basic reasons people convert is that some battery-powered smoke detectors can be hard to reach. Moreover, ...

Q: I changed the batteries in my smoke detector, but when I tested it afterward nothing happened. The batteries are new, but the smoke detector is very old. I know that it’s hard-wired into my home’s ...

We've been in our house (bought new) for 12 years. This morning (5:40AM, everyone was asleep) our smoke detectors, of the wired whole-house variety that were installed when the house was built, ...

Juan has been a home inspector for 10 years and runs a successful home inspection company in Richmond, VA. He loves inspecting homes, but his real passion is educating home owners and newer inspectors ...

Ionization smoke alarms use a battery and two metal plates, called electrodes, to create an electrical circuit. Ions are tiny, electrically charged particles that flow through the circuit and between ...