We spoke to a fire safety expert and weighed the pros and cons of cost, reliability and installation of hardwired smoke alarms versus battery-operated. Here’s everything you need to know.

As a residential carpenter, I've installed plenty of hardwired and battery-powered smoke detectors over the years. For this guide, I interviewed three fire safety experts and tested dozens of ...

This model plugs directly into an outlet or can be installed up to 6 feet away with the included cord adapter ... as there’s no backup battery. Wired smoke detectors are typically basic ...