What types of smoke do smoke detectors detect?

What types of smoke do smoke detectors detect?

Stacy Gerlich (Fire Captain & Paramedic) gives expert video advice on: Why are smoke detectors important?; How do I install a smoke detector?; How often should I check my smoke detectors and fire extinguishers? and more...

Smoke is just the by-product of combustion, so smoke detectors are not specific to any one particular chemical in smoke, although carbon monoxide poisoning has become quite prevalent. And what smoke detectors now have are sort of a combination. Indeed a carbon monoxide smoke detector, which is probably the best thing to install, especially if you're going to go through the exercise of going to buy them, and either changing out old ones or installing these new ones. That's the way to go nowadays in smoke detectors.