As Ben Franklin once noted, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Use these basic detection-device tips to help keep you and your family safe and sound.

Smoke alarms

• Install one in and outside each bedroom, with at least one on every level of the home.
• Test once a month, and replace after ten years.
• Consider interconnected smoke alarms—when one goes off, all of them do.

Carbon monoxide alarms

• Install one outside each bedroom, making sure that one is on every level of the home.
• Install a few feet from the ceiling, and keep them away from heat and humidity sources.
• Test at least once a month.
• Consider interconnected alarms and combination smoke/carbon monoxide alarms.

Radon detectors

• Test for radon—a dangerous, colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas—twice a year.
• Use short-term kits (which test from 2 to 90 days) for quick results and long-term kits (several months) for greater accuracy.
• Contact an expert about remediation if you get high readings.