Choosing the right smoke alarm for your needs
There are many different types of smoke detectors available on the market, and it can be difficult to know which one is best for your needs. And while each home may have different designs and needs, there are two things that remain constant: human safety and legislation compliance are a top priority.
Because the materials used in the construction of modern homes and the contents contained inside a house can be highly flammable, when a fire starts everyone inside may have only three minutes to wake up and exit before they are overcome by smoke and the building is destroyed. Three minutes is a very short space of time to ensure every person in a house is accounted for and can exit to safety. That's why it's essential that smoke alarms are compliant with legislation and provide alerts early on.
The different types of smoke detectors that you can choose from
There are three types of smoke alarms for home use: ionisation, photoelectric and dual-sensor alarms. Let’s exploreIonisation smoke alarms each of these:
1. Ionisation smoke alarms
Ionisation alarms are the most sensitive smoke detector, but they have a few drawbacks. Ionisation detectors are very good at detecting fast flaming fires, which do not emit layers of visible smoke before ignition and often release particles that ionisation alarms can pick up quicker than alternative technologies. However, ionisation alarms can also be prone to being triggered unnecessarily by cooking and steam, so they are not the best type of alarm to install in a kitchen or bathroom.
2. Photoelectric smoke alarms
The most frequently used smoke alarm is photoelectric. These contain a photocell and a light beam shining away from the cell to detect smoke particles in the air when a fire breaks out. They’re great at detecting smoky and smouldering fires, which is a common type of house fire. The downside is that they can be triggered by dust or insects.
3. Dual sensor smoke alarms
Dual sensor alarms contain both an ionisation and photoelectric device. These are a good option as they draw on the best features of each type of smoke alarm, but are not advisable for kitchens or bathrooms where steam and burnt toast can easily set them off.