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.

A concerned woman pushing a button on her smoke alarm. - Chameleonseye/Getty Images Each home security system has its own set of cues and meanings, and you'll need to consult with your manual to work ...

I’ve been writing about smoke detectors for a few years. That often involves researching fire statistics, so when I see something like the fact that the death rate from a fire is 60 percent lower in ...

Each home security system has its own set of cues and meanings, and you'll need to consult with your manual to work them out. There are, however, a few universal warning sounds used for most household ...