Ordinary smoke alarms can only do one thing
Protecting your home from fire is a chief concern for homeowners, and smoke detectors take on an essential role in shielding your family. Despite that fact, smoke detectors have various drawbacks. For instance, they can only detect smoke, not heat. In the event there is an emergency in your residence, you might not be warned unless the smoke ascends to the smoke detector. While there are some other telltale signals of fire -- like a sudden rise in heat -- if you don’t have smoke, you won’t have a triggered smoke detector.
In addition, smoke detectors only activate when they detect an adequate amount of smoke. If a fire begins slowly, you may not be warned until it's too late. Some smoke detectors use dual sensors, meaning they will be able to perceive smoke from both a raging fire and smoldering remnants. Whenever they sound their alarm, it’s required of the occupant to contact the fire department after safely leaving the premises.