Some things you don’t want to take chances with. Like your home and protecting your loved ones. When it comes to them, you would do almost anything to keep them safe and secure. That’s why it is really important to have locks on your doors and to have a working fire alarm system in your home or apartment. Fire can damage or destroy your property, but things can be replaced. People, and especially your family cannot. Buying, installing and maintaining a good fire alarm system should be a priority for every home.
It’s hard to know which type if fire alarm is the best one to choose. There seems to be so many options and models on the market these days. It can be a challenge but if you do your homework you can make an educated purchase. The first thing to know is that there are a number of different types of fire alarm systems. The difference between then is the type pf smoke detector that they have. Here are the main types of fire alarm systems that you can choose from.
1. Types of fire alarms
An ionisation alarm contains a smoke detector that uses air ionisation to detect smoke in a room. The detector has small amounts of americium 241 that is a radioactive element that sets up a current within the smoke detector. If there’s any smoke in the room, the smoke particles get into the detector and the ionisation chamber. This disrupts the electric current and the alarm goes off. Photoelectric or optical alarms use light to detect smoke presence in a room. They contain a light strobe which remains on and if there is a fire, the smoke causes this light to diffract and the fire alarm goes off. Finally, there are dual sensor alarms that use a combination of the photoelectric and ionisation alarms to detect smoke in a home or apartment.
2. Not just fire and smoke
The ionisation alarm is often recommended for other areas of the house other than the kitchen because there is sometimes accident smoke in that area. In the kitchen, a photoelectric alarm may be best because it cannot be set off accidentally by smoke from cooking. Some alarms also monitor more than just smoke. Some even come equipped with lights to help people get out of the house when it’s dark. Other detectors monitor smoke but they also work to detect the presence of dangerous gases like carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide gas is a colorless, odorless gas that builds up when fossil fuels are burned. If it builds up in high enough quantities, it can be deadly. If you have a gas fireplace or gas furnace in your home it is important that you monitor for a carbon monoxide build-up as well as smoke.
3. Powered up for safety
Fire alarms are almost always powered by batteries. But these batteries wear out and have to be replaced. Every year you should check your fire alarm system and your battery and replace if necessary. Another option is to have the fire alarm wired into your home’s electricity grid and have a battery in case of a power failure. Fire alarm systems will usually last about ten years but it should be replaced well before that in order to ensure the safety of your home.
4. Be safe and don’t be sorry. It’s the law.
Fire alarms are an important part of a home’s overall protection system. Not only are they important, in many areas they are also mandatory. You have to install a fire alarm system and keep it in good working order to pay serious penalties and fines. But why wouldn’t you want to have a fire alarm to save the ones you love from danger. Be safe and don’t be sorry.