All smoke alarms run on electricity; that goes without saying! All the technology that is produced in this day and age is more than likely electrical based. However, not all smoke alarms run on the same type of electricity. In general, there are three types; battery operated, mains operated and ones that have both. If you are looking to purchase mains operated electric smoke alarms, there are a few things that need taking into consideration.
The main problem with them is that they are wholly reliant upon the reliability of the mains network in your house. This means that there are two main problems that are commonly found with this type of detector.
The installation is much more important with electric smoke alarms than with battery operated smoke alarms. Because you are essentially integrating your smoke detector into the mains circuit it requires a lot of intricate work for an electrician. This is something that you can’t really afford to save money on because it is integral to the working of your detector and, above all, your safety. If a detector is poorly installed it can result in the detector either not working (a power loss because of inadequate circuitry is a risk) or wires being left exposed. If you have children then this latter point is of concern which is why, if you are installing electric smoke alarms, you are recommended to use a reliable company with a good record. The other issue is if there is a power cut in your area. Should this occur then it will result in your detector no longer functioning at all; as it is reliant upon the mains it will simply turn off along with all the other electrical appliances throughout the house. Should this occur whilst there is a fire you are essentially in the same situation as you would be without a detector; i.e. it is no longer serving a purpose.
On the other hand, there are benefits to electric smoke alarms. One of the main issues that people have with the battery operated kind is that they forget to change the batteries. Whereas, if there is a power cut, once the power is switched back on the detector will work perfectly again, the battery operated detectors will not work until you change the battery. The only way to check whether or not it is still working is by pressing the button which is a very inefficient method.
As long as the mains power is reliable and the detector is correctly wired into the circuitry, you should not have any trouble with the electric smoke alarms.