If you\’ve been thinking about installing smoke alarms in your family home and are finding it hard to work out which device is suitable, you\’re one of the many people who feel a little lost. Given there are such a wide variety of smoke detectors on the market today, let\’s break all of them down into two categories to simplify the decision. The first is known as an ionization smoke alarm and the other is a photoelectric smoke alarm.
If this is still sounding a little confusing, allow me to explain the differences of each device to you and how they work. If you\’re to make an informed decision when purchasing such items, you\’ll want to know it\’s the right device for you to purchase for your family home.
A great analogy for the way in which an ionization smoke alarm works is the same way in which your sense of smell functions. The device tests and detects the presence of smoke particles in the air. Ideally, these kinds of smoke detectors are suitable for industrial areas where fires ignite due to chemicals or explosive materials. Many people have made the mistake of installing these kinds of alarms within their home, either not knowing or flat out ignoring the advice to do otherwise. Because fires within the home ignite in a different manner to industrial ones, this has left many people at risk of injury or death due to insufficient detection.
Let\’s now look at the way photoelectric smoke alarms work. Using a similar analogy as the previous paragraph, a photoelectric smoke alarm is similar to your eyes. As an optical device, it scans the room looking for the presence of fire and smoke.
Inside each and every photoelectric smoke alarm lies a light emitting diode which it uses to look for the presence of smoke. Because it does this 24/7, it will alarm you to the fact a fire danger is present within your home if smoke is present. They\’re the most effective smoke alarm for the home or small office. Given the large majority of fires that occur within small offices or the home produce a lot of smoke, it makes perfect sense to install a photoelectric smoke alarm instead of an ionization model.
Knowledge is power and now that you have the knowledge of which smoke alarm is best for your home, it\’s time to act and install the right device. I\’d like to mention one last thing. Many people have often lamented about not being able to install both types of devices in the home. Well, now there are dual ionization-photoelectric smoke alarms on the market.
These devices utilize both methods of detection and because of that, they are a little more costly than a singular device. Having said that, if the cost is a non-issue for you, they\’re a great item to purchase. If value for money is a larger consideration, opt for the photoelectric smoke alarm over the ionization type. Photoelectric smoke alarms are far better in the detection of fire in your home, ionization smoke alarms are known to have a much higher failure rate which could put you at risk.
Starting now, you can take action to better protect your family against fire. The first action is to visit the photoelectric smoke alarm website to get started.
