Smoke Detector : What is it?
| Smoke detectors are used to detect airborne smoke and emit alarms to alert homeowners of possible fires. They are usually installed rooms with high-risk heating or electrical devices, such as furnaces, chimneys, and electric or gas-powered appliances. They are usually installed on walls or ceilings, and can run on batteries or connect to the home’s electric system.
Smoke detectors may be used alone, integrated into home security systems, or installed in several rooms. Multiple smoke detectors are often interconnected so that smoke in one room can trigger all the other units. Some alarms are also accompanied by flashing lights to alert hearing-impaired users. |
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Kinds of Smoke Detectors include the following: |
Photoelectric smoke detectors
Photoelectric smoke detectors have T-shaped optical chambers that emit a beam of infrared light, which normally passes in a straight line in front of a photosensitive cell. Smoke scatters some of the light onto the cell, which triggers the alarm. In some models, the beam is positioned so that light scatters away from the cell, setting off the alarm when less light is detected. They work best for detecting slow burning and smoldering fires with large amounts of smoke.
Ionization smoke detectors
Ionization smoke detectors consist of an ionization chamber surrounded by two oppositely charged electrodes, and a radioactive element called americium-241. The americium sends alpha particles into the chamber, delivering a constant current to the electrodes. When smoke enters the chamber, the stream of current is disturbed and the alarm goes off. They can also be triggered by hot air and very small smoke particles, which may cause them to alarm during cooking and normal kitchen activities. They usually have indicator lights that alert users when the batteries are running low. They are best for detecting fast-spreading and flaming fires. |
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Power source: Choose a smoke detector that runs on both batteries and AC power. This will allow you to reserve your batteries for backup when the home electrical system fails. Look for one that uses lithium batteries instead of 9-volt batteries – lithium batteries last about ten years, while 9-volt ones will need frequent replacement.
UL approval: Make sure your smoke detector is approved by the Underwriters Laboratory (UL). This ensures that your unit passes international standards for quality and efficiency. This is usually indicated by a UL approval seal on the product package. |
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