We invited our friends from Electrician Geelong to provide us with some information regarding smoke detectors because these little devices save lives and when you’re out looking for a home, you should look for the presence of smoke detectors. Electrician Geelong are one of the best electrical companies in Geelong and we welcome their write up smoke detectors below.
The presence of a smoke detector in your home is paramount to your safety and the safety of your family. The early detection of smoke in the house has saved thousands and thousands of lives over the years and it’s no wonder that it’s law to have a smoke alarm fitted to new houses in Australia.
According to one source on the internet, having a smoke detector installed in a home reduces injury or death by fire by fifty percent. That’s amazing and for the minimal cost of them, you’d be mad not to have them installed.
The first versions of smoke detectors/alarms began appearing around the 1890s (source Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_detector) and various versions of them were designed over the years, including different ways they work and different applications for them.
There are two main methods of how smoke detectors work known as Ionization and Photoelectric.
Very simply, the Ionization type of smoke detector operates by ionizing the air, and detects and difference in the air due to smoke and generates an alarm. These types of smoke alarms are more sensitive to the flaming stage of a fire as opposed to the earlier smouldering stage of a fire.
A photoelectric (also known as an optical smoke detector) uses a source of infrared or ultraviolet light and a photoelectric receiver which measures the light intensity that changes with the presence of smoke. An alarm will sound if the intensity of lights changes above a certain threshold.
Smoke alarms need to be fitted according to certain specifications which justifies the use of a certified electrician to install your smoke alarm (and if you’re in the Geelong area, look up Electrician Geelong). The positioning, number, and type of smoke alarm for your home are all important factors in ensuring you and your family’s safety.
You’ll no doubt be aware of how a smoke alarm sounds if you’ve ever burnt your cooking. Some smoke detectors can be very sensitive and sound their alarm at the slightest hint of smoke. I have even heard of smoke alarms going off from boiling water. The fact is though wouldn’t you prefer your alarm to be more sensitive – in the case of an actual fire, this could be the difference between life and death with the extra warning time you would have.
Smoke detectors can be purchased from your local hardware store for DIY installation or can be supplied and installed by your local electrician. Typically a smoke detector installed by an electrician will be wired into your household’s electrical mains thereby providing continual power to the unit. The DIY versions typically rely solely on battery power.
You should check your smoke detector regularly. For example, once a week would be recommended.