What are the most important safety devices in your home? A smoke alarm is a must. It alerts you to fires that could be deadly. Every home should have a fire alarm on every floor. Why? Because a small fire can turn into an inferno in just minutes. The smoke detector is designed to warn you of a fire before it can reach the alarming stage.
What is a Smoke Alarm?
Smoke alarm are simple devices that alert you to smoke in the air. The small device comes with a horn or buzzer that sounds when it detects fire. Usually, these alarms use radio waves to communicate with similar devices in the home.
These alarms are cheap and basic. Most of them contain simple technology that can detect flames, fire, and heat in the air. Some of the latest types are more sophisticated. They have built-in detectors that monitor carbon dioxide, oxygen levels, and temperature changes in the home.
Features of Best Smoke Alarms
Your home fire detector device is entrusted with the vital task of helping keep your family safe. Thus, you must make sure that your device is reliable. Also, purchase only such alarms equipped with the best features for your home’s safety!
Below are a few of the features that your alarm system must have –
- Voice and Location Alerts
Smoking alarms with voice and location alerts can easily recognize whether there is a fire, a carbon monoxide emergency, or just a simple cooking smoke. The alarm system has a built-in speaker to announce the area or room where the fire originated in your home. You and your family can take quick action to escape the room/home safely.
- Safety Path Light
The best fire warning alarm type is one with a safety path light. As soon as the alarm is alerted, the light illuminates to alert you of the smoke/fire location. This handy feature allows you to evacuate safely, especially at night.
- Interconnected System
Gone are those days when you could only connect your home alarm systems to your home’s electrical system. The technology has advanced rapidly over the last few years, and today’s smoke alarms are interconnected using wireless, battery-operated systems. The main benefit of an interconnected alarm system is if one alarm goes off in any room of the house, all alarms will sound, giving you a full alert.
- Battery Backup and Temperature Sensing
A wireless alarm system must have a battery backup. The best XS01 wireless smoke alarm comes with the most extended battery backup. Moreover, the built-in temperature sensor prevents the device from activating when there is a change in temperature level. This feature prevents false alarms and saves you money on battery power.
Where to Install Smoke Detector/Alarm; Keep in Mind?
The position of your alarm is also essential. The best location for your detector is at a central point from where the alert is transferred to all the other alarms in your home. This way, you will be able to hear the alarm easily, even when you are in your room.
For optimal safety, install an alarm system on every floor of your home and workplace. And lastly, avoid installing them near windows, doors, or any other place where they might be disturbed by drafts or air currents.
How does a Smoke Alarm work?
Smoking alarms work using different types of technology. The most common types are photoelectric and ionization systems. Each system uses sensors that detect smoke and fire in your home.
a) Photoelectric Smoke Detector: This type of smoke detector works using a small light. The device’s light source is placed on the ceiling or wall of your home. The light source sends out invisible beams of light in all directions. The beams will be obstructed if there is any smoke in the air. This happens because smoke particles interrupt the clean path of the light beam.
b) Ionization Smoke Detector: Another system uses ionization to detect smoke in the air. A small electrical current is applied to an electromagnetic field between two electrodes. When there is smoke in the air, the device releases ions. These icons can easily attach themselves to the electrodes and create an electrical charge. The charge is detected by a nearby sensor, which sends a signal to your alarm system.
Conclusion
So, if you want to keep your family safe, invest in a reliable smoking alarm. Remember to replace your batteries every six months and ensure you are using the best-rated smoke alarms. Follow these tips, and your home will be safe from any fire mishap!