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.

The first time most people hear the quiet chirp of a smoke detector in the dead of winter, it feels like a minor nuisance. It’s easy to press a finger to the base, silence the sound and carry on. But ...

Cooking is the leading trigger for home fire alarms, yet the device you rely on to protect your family can become so annoying near the kitchen that you are tempted to silence it or take it down. The ...