The first thing that hits our mind is fire detectors and fire alarm systems when we think of measures for the protection of a building. To protect our houses from fire, we cannot take things casually. Luckily, today we have very advanced and cost-effective options for this major concern and smoke detector is one of them.
Heat detectors have been used commonly for fire protection but they have certain limitations too. Heat detectors such as BS-660 simply work on temperature sensing. When the temperature crosses a certain limit, then heat detectors ring fire alarms.
While smoke detectors detect a fire early by sensing smoke and temperature early and these detectors have shown promising results for residential purposes. If you have not got a smoke detector for your home or office, it’s time to install one.
In this blog post, you will know about smoke detectors, its different types, and other details. To find more, keep reading.
Types of Smoke Detectors:
As we mentioned earlier that the most known fire detector is a heat detector that rings an alarm when the temperature exceeds a certain limit. But this is not the case with smoke detectors as they detect smoke early and ring fire alarms allowing you to escape early.
We have three different types of smoke or fire detectors on the basis of their technologies which are as follows:
- Ionization smoke detector
- Photoelectric smoke detector
- Combination smoke detector
Let us explain how these smoke detectors work and which option is more suitable for you keeping your requirements in mind.
Ionization Smoke Detector
Ionization smoke alarms are known for their responsiveness to fast and high raging fires. These alarms are inexpensive, quite popular but less effective too. A perfect choice for use in your homes and offices.
Working Mechanism
These detectors have a small radioactive element to pass between two plates which are electrically charged, this creates an ionization chamber. Due to this setting, the air gets ionized and a current is created to flow between the plates. When smoke enters this space, the current gets reduced and activates the alarm.
Photoelectric Smoke Detector
Photoelectric smoke alarms are known for detecting smoke earlier than ionization smoke alarms. Detecting the fire in the smoldering phase is crucial for escape or reducing the fire damage. Data and different studies have shown that photoelectric alarms take 3 to 5 minutes to respond to smoky fires.
Ionization smoke alarms take more time like up to 20 minutes or in some cases, more than that. So, we will recommend you to buy a photoelectric smoke detector for your home. BS-655 optical smoke detector is a good choice if you are looking for a high-quality and reliable photoelectric smoke detector.
Working Mechanism:
Talking about the working mechanism of these alarms, photoelectric smoke alarms use a light source and a photoelectric sensor. Smoke particles scatter the light beam when smoke enters the chamber. Now, the scattered beam light moves toward the light sensor and this rings the alarm.
Pros and Cons:
- They are extremely reliable as they generate less false alarms than ionization smoke alarms.
- An Expensive but more effective option.
- These detectors are a good choice to install in the buildings where installing single-point smoke detectors would be expensive and difficult.
Combination smoke detectors
Basically, we have two main types of smoke alarms, but for better protection, we use these two alarms in combination and get the benefits of both technologies.
According to the NFPA (National Fire Protection Energy), you should use both types of alarms to ensure maximum protection from flaming and smoldering fires.
Either you can use both alarms and interconnect them or you can simply buy an alarm in which both technologies are used. We will discuss interconnection in the next section of this article.
What is the difference between Main powered or battery-operated smoke fire alarms?
Smoke alarms connected to the main power (240 volts) are called main powered fire alarms and are highly recommended for residential usage. We recommend these alarms as they are very reliable and very innovative. To install main powered fire alarms, take the services of a certified electrical engineer.
If you are tight on budget, you can consider battery-operated smoke alarms. For this type of smoke alarms, we have two options further. You can go for a smoke alarm using a lithium battery that lasts for the lifetime (10 years) of a smoke alarm. The second choice is to install alarms with user-replaceable batteries. These batteries last for one year mostly.
The benefit of using a lifetime battery alarm is that you don’t have to change the battery every year and no need to climb on the ladders.
What Should I Look into a smoke detector before buying?
Now you have a fair idea about different types of smoke detectors and you can make a smart decision. But there are many other important points and factors to consider before finalizing a smoke detector. These factors are as following:
Battery Life:
We recommend you to go for batteries with 10-years life it means that you don’t have to change the battery every year. Keep in mind that main powered alarms also have back up batteries so don’t forget to check that the batteries are removable or not.
Test Button
A Test button is here to ensure that your alarm detector is properly functional. According to NFPA, 23% of deaths due to fires are caused by non-working smoke detectors.
To test some smoke detectors, you can put torchlight on the alarm or use a remote. Using a remote control saves a lot of time and hassle if you are not fond of climbing ladders or using sticks or brooms to press the test button.
Expiry date
Another important thing to check is the expiry date of smoke detectors. The expected lifetime of smoke detectors is 10 years. You have to replace smoke detectors every ten years as they may not work properly and alert you in case of any incident.
Interconnection of smoke detectors:
Most of the main-powers detectors can be connected to some battery-powered smoke detectors. The benefit of this interconnection is that if one alarm goes down the rest alarm can do the job and alert all the occupants.
Which Smoke Detector/Alarm is the best for me?
Well, it depends on your budget and the fact that if you have already got one. If you already have got a photoelectric smoke detector, then you can get an ionized smoke detector and install it. But if you don’t have any, then we would recommend a combined smoke detector.
How Capital Solutions can help you:
If you are looking for expert advice for choosing the best smoke detector keeping all your requirements in mind, basically a customized solution for your building, then contact Capital Solutions. Capital Solutions has been successfully providing all services and equipment related to the fire safety and security in Pakistan for more than seven years.