Being caught in a fire mishap is scary to think about, but it’s an unfortunate truth that many firefighters have to fight with thousands of building fires every year. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the risk of dying in homes without smoke alarms is twice as high as it is in homes that have working smoke alarms.
And, to escape a building fire, early warning is vital; and for this reason, every home or business needs a smoke alarm. A smoke alarm is one of the best yet most affordable ways to provide early warning, when a fire begins at a premise. A fire alarm or smoke detector is a portable device, which can help prevent injuries and minimize property damage, if it is installed and maintained properly.
Types of Fire Alarms:
- Ionization alarm: Ionization alarms are best at detecting small particles released by fast, flaming fires that don’t emit much visible smoke. This kind of heat detector or fire detector contains a very small amount of radioactive material, which reacts to particles emitted in a fire and sets off the alarm. An ionization alarm is very sensitive as the smoke produced by any burnt food or by steam from the shower can trigger them; hence there are chances of more false alarms. Therefore, it is advisable not to place near the kitchen or bathroom.
- Photoelectric alarm: The photoelectric alarm is best at detecting a common type of house fire called smoky and blazing fire. This type of smoking detector or fire alarm contains a photocell and a light beam shining away from the cell, and as soon as smoke enters the test chamber, some of the light scatters by the smoke particles and hits the cell, triggering the alarm. And, it is advisable to be cleaned occasionally as dust or insects entering the unit can cause false alarms.
- Dual sensor alarm: It contains both an ionization smoke sensor and a photoelectric smoke sensor, and therefore, dual-sensor alarm is comprised of the best and worst features of both smoke detector types. A dual-sensor alarm is a good option to install in a building, but don’t install them near a kitchen or bathroom, as with any ionization alarm. Even some models of this type of smoke alarm require both fire sensors to be triggered before the alarm will go off, but this may delay the alert from sounding.
