When you move into or buy a new home, no one hands you a guide to how the smoke detectors work. They "chirp," which really means shriek loudly, and you occasionally have to put new batteries in them.

Battery powered smoke detectors have been an essential home safety accessory ever since they were first commercially popularized in the 1970s. But even though the blinking device is fastened to ...

Smoke detectors that only beep at night are acting up for a specific reason: Here's what can save your sanity and sleep.

Smoke detectors save lives in emergencies. However, false alarms occur frequently - for example, due to excessive steam in the kitchen or low batteries. What should you do when the smoke detector ...