Everyone knows that in order to stay safe from fires in the home, a good smoke alarm needs to be installed. What you may not know is that there are more than a few on the market and they all have different benefits and belong in different places within the home.
You may now be wondering “what kind of fire alarm do I need?”. Well here’s a handy guide that will help you work out exactly what kind of system you’re looking for, so you can go into discussions with a professional, with something of a clue of what you’re looking for.
If you are in need of fire alarm installers in Sunderland, check out CDS Fire and Security. They provide a variety of fire alarm solutions for the home and even commercially.
Ionisation Alarm
This type of alarm is the cheapest to purchase and install. They are very sensitive to small particles of smoke produced by flaming fires, often caused by paper and wood. They are not as sensitive to thick smoke produced by slow burning fires that give off larger quantities of smoke before a flame occurs.
It has been noted that these alarms are often over-sensitive when placed next to a kitchen. Most experts recommend that they are placed in stairwells, landings or offices.
Optical Alarm
Also known as a photo-electronic alarm, the optical alarm is a more expensive and more effective system. Designed to detect large amounts of smoke produced by long burning fires, like foam-filled upholstery and overheated wiring. They are not as sensitive to fast flaming fires.
This system can be installed near a kitchen, but it is highly recommended for lounges, bedrooms and hallways. Don’t place this alarm too close to a ventilated bathroom – it can sometimes mistake steam for smoke!
Heat Alarm
A heat alarm, as the name suggests, detects changes in temperature and is insensitive to smoke. Therefore, this alarm is ideal for the kitchen. As this alarm can only cover a small area of the room, more than one may be needed for a larger vicinity. You can even consider this solution for your garage.
This alarm is triggered when the room temperature reaches or exceeds 55℃. The specific nature of this alarm means that false alarms are almost always mitigated.
Combined Alarms
Sometimes the best solution is to combine some of the alarms listed above. Some of the most common combinations are Optical and Heat and Smoke with Carbon Monoxide.
Combining an optical and heat alarm further mitigates the risk of false alarms, as well as increasing the speed of detection. A smoke and carbon monoxide combination kills two birds with one stone. The two necessary alarms are combined into one unit, saving the homeowner money, as well as taking up less of your living space.
This guide will hopefully have left you with some idea of what approach you should take when you are designing a fire alarm solution for your home.
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