Hardwired vs. battery: which does your home need?
Most homes built since the early 1990s are hardwired and interconnected, and older homes often run on standalone battery alarms. Here is what each means, and how to tell what your home needs.
Hardwired
Hardwired alarms run on your home's electrical system, with a battery backup that keeps them working during a power outage. They are the standard in newer construction. Because they are wired in, replacing them is not a simple swap, which matters when one wears out. Re-wiring is generally needed to connect them properly. You can generally get hardwired alarms with either 10-year sealed batteries that last the lifetime of the alarm, or with replaceable batteries that you need to change every year. Here is more on batteries.
Battery-only alarms
Battery-only alarms are self-contained and easy to place anywhere, which makes them common in older homes and good for filling coverage gaps. The best of them use a sealed 10-year battery, so you are not buying batteries every year. Here is more on batteries.
Interconnected
Interconnected alarms talk to each other, so when one senses smoke, every alarm in the house sounds. That early, everywhere-at-once warning is a real safety upgrade, especially in a larger or two-story home where a fire could start far from the bedrooms. Most homes with hardwired alarms are also interconnected. There are also limited options for wireless interconnectivity with battery operated alarms.
When to call a pro
Swapping a single battery alarm is an easy do-it-yourself job as long as you are comfortable getting up on a ladder. Hardwired and interconnected systems are not. Mismatched units, wiring, and getting the whole set to talk are where DIY goes sideways. If your home is hardwired or interconnected, that is our wheelhouse.
Not sure what you have? We will check your setup and tell you honestly what fits, with the price in writing first.
