Editing Smoke detector (section)

=== Reliability ===
A 2004 [[NIST]] report concluded that "Smoke alarms of either the ionization type or the photoelectric type consistently provided time for occupants to escape from most residential fires," and, "Consistent with prior findings, ionization type alarms provided somewhat better response to flaming fires than photoelectric alarms (57 to 62 seconds faster response), and photoelectric alarms provided (often) considerably faster response to smoldering fires than ionization type alarms (47 to 53 minutes faster response)."<ref name="NIST" />

Regular cleaning can prevent false alarms caused by the build-up of dust and insects, particularly on optical-type alarms as they are more susceptible to these factors. A vacuum cleaner can be used to clean domestic smoke detectors to remove detrimental dust. Optical detectors are less susceptible to false alarms in locations such as near a kitchen producing cooking fumes.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cleaning Smoke and Heat Alarms|url=http://www.sdfirealarms.co.uk/cleaning-smoke-and-heat-alarms|website=SDFireAlarms.co.uk|publisher=Hav Direct|date=2011|access-date=2015-07-31|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925103532/http://www.sdfirealarms.co.uk/cleaning-smoke-and-heat-alarms|archive-date=2015-09-25}}</ref>

On the night of May 31, 2001, Bill Hackert and his daughter Christine of [[Rotterdam (town), New York|Rotterdam, New York]], died when their house caught fire and a [[First Alert]] brand ionization smoke detector failed to sound.<ref name="hackert">{{cite web | title = Federal appeals court upholds $2.8M award for faulty smoke alarm | url = http://www.wthr.com/global/story.asp?s=8109077 | date = April 2, 2008 | first = Bob | last = Segall | website = WTHR.com | publisher = [[WTHR]] | access-date = 2008-10-28 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081207064422/http://www.wthr.com/global/story.asp?s=8109077 | archive-date = December 7, 2008 }}</ref> The cause of the fire was a frayed electrical cord behind a couch that smoldered for hours before engulfing the house with flames and smoke.<ref name="hackert" /> The ionization smoke detector was found to be defectively designed, and in 2006 a jury in the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York decided that First Alert, and its then parent company, [[BRK Brands]], was liable for millions of dollars in damages.<ref name="hackert" />