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28/11/2024 • by Alice P
Proactive fire safety starts with selecting the right equipment for your home. Two of the most important pieces of fire equipment in your home are smoke alarms and heat alarms.
It can be an easy mistake to assume that these alarms work the same way. Or, even more common, to only invest in one type and neglect the other. However, both types of alarms play a crucial role in keeping a space safe from the threat of fire.
Both heat and smoke alarms work together to provide an alert in the event of fire. Smoke alarms and heat alarms can both be used in your household; however, their usefulness depends on where they are placed within your house.
Having a combination of both smoke and heat alarms in your house can safeguard occupants as well as the building. Together these alarms can provide an early warning in the case of fire. An early warning can create extra time to help people evacuate from the premises safely.
A smoke alarm is a device that can provide an early detection of smoke or fire.
A smoke alarm is an essential piece of fire safety equipment. It is a device that can be mounted to the ceiling of living spaces, including lounges, hallways and bedrooms. It monitors the presence of smoke and, if there is an abnormal spike, it will trigger the alarm.
A smoke alarm works by using highly sensitive sensors. They are designed to respond to the earliest stages of a fire. They exist in two forms: photoelectric smoke detectors and ionisation smoke detectors.
Photoelectric smoke detectors are suited to sensing slow burning or smouldering fires. They work by using a light sensing chamber. As smoke enters the chamber it disrupts the path of a laser and triggers the alarm.
Ionisation smoke detectors are suited to fast flaming fires. They use two electronically charged plates to ionise the air in the sensor. When smoke enters the detector, it disrupts the flow of the ions and triggers the alarm. Unfortunately, these detectors have a higher chance of producing false alarms in response to dust or steam. These alarms also contain small amounts of radioactive materials and thus ionisation smoke detectors are being phased out.
Read more on the differences between photoelectric and ionisation alarms.
A heat alarm detects fires by monitoring sudden increases in temperature.
Heat alarms are the perfect solution for combatting the challenge smoke alarms face of having a false alarm triggered. Kitchens can be very vulnerable to fire. Open flames will be used during cooking and the risk of things burning and catching fire is always a risk.
Although a smoke alarm would typically work to protect this space cooking fumes and the controlled use of a flame mean that they can easily be triggered for the wrong reasons. A heat alarm solves this through its ability to differ between normal cooking fumes and heat produced by a fire.
Heat alarms monitor the level of heat in a room and a sudden increase in temperature will trigger the alarm.
The two most common types of heat detectors are fixed temperature heat detectors and rate-of-rise heat detectors. The difference between the two detectors is how they work internally. A fixed temperature heat detector is the most common and uses a substance that changes from a solid to a liquid in the presence of heat. A rate-of-rise heat detector features a diaphragm which responds to heat in the air. As the heat rises this diaphragm-like feature heats up in the chamber and moves closer to the detector contacts.
Both smoke alarms and heat alarms can be powered either by batteries or by the mains.
Most battery powered smoke and heat alarms are powered by a removeable battery. These devices rely solely on a battery for power. With the advancement in technology, battery powered alarms can function as a standalone unit or be connected to other units in your house. See our article on Interlinked Smoke Alarms for further information.
Battery powered alarms tend to be much easier to install, most alarms feature a bracket to mount the alarm to the ceiling. However, the downside is these alarms are considered less reliable due to the absence of a backup power source.
Mains powered alarms are powered through being connected directly to the home’s main power supply. This means installation is a lot more tricky, more expensive and will require an electrician. Despite this, mains powered alarms are viewed as the superior option. This is because main powered alarms also come with built in backup batteries. If the home’s electricity fails, the alarms will continue to work.
When installing an alarm, never use glue: Alarms are made to be screwed to the wall. This means there is no risk of accidentally damaging the device or damaging the space.
Be careful where the alarms are places: As mentioned, smoke alarms are prone to having false alarms triggered by dust and smoke. Do not place these detectors too close to bathrooms or kitchens.
Each alarm is installed in different ways, so double check instructions: Most manufactures supply instructions on installing your alarms, however, most alarms are mounted to the ceiling with two screws.
More tips on installing your fire alarm system.
Quick response: There is little risk of hidden fires and removes the stress of not hearing an alarm go off. This can give people extra time to respond and to evacuate from the danger.
Wireless interconnect: This avoids the risk of alarms failing during a power cut.
Convenient: These alarms can be installed without an electrician and be monitored without an engineer.
Non-invasive installation: Wireless interlinked arms making installation completely non-invasive. They can be fitted without damaging walls to access wires and will stay connected separate from the mains.
With so many heat and smoke alarms already existing it can feel overwhelming trying to choose the right one. That is why it is best to invest in long-lasting, reliable equipment made by professionals for professional fire safety.
The interconnected wireless WisuAlarm revolutionises the smoke alarm system. These alarms are designed for the home. Each unit is interconnected, meaning they will communicate together as one unit, in real time. If fire is detected the alarm will react instantly, wasting no time. These alarms are sleek, non-invasive, and effective.
The WisuAlarm heat detector is just as powerful. Just like the smoke WisuAlarm, the heat WisuAlarm can be interlinked. These alarms are built to be accessible. This means they have a loud sound output and can be worked with any remote infrared controllers. These alarms also omit a chirp sound when they are low on battery. This removes the worry of not knowing the battery life of the device.
It is important to install both heat alarms and smoke alarms in your home. Both devices are incredibly important to keep the home safe. It is vital that both types are installed in the home to ensure you’re alerted in the presence of fire. Ultimately, having both heat and smoke alarms installed ensures that everyone is protected.