The Different Types of Fire Alarms
Some people say that “it is better to fall prey to a thief than a fire”. This is because a thief will take your possessions but leave your home intact while a fire will leave you with nothing. Fire can be very useful and is even a sign of man’s ability to make use of technology. However, fire can be a very destructive force. Acting too late in the instance of a fire can not only entail the loss of your property, but of your life as well. This is the reason why having a fire alarm in your home is necessary.
We all know that fire alarms are designed to alert people to the possibility of a fire in their homes. Although any smoke alarm can be useful, it is often recommended that you choose a specific type of fire alarm for your home. This is because certain types of fire alarms can be more suited for certain places and for certain people. So what do you have to choose from?
1) Smoke alarms – These are the most common types of fire alarms. Often, the term “smoke alarm” is used interchangeably with “fire alarm”. Smoke alarms actually detect smoke and not the actual fire. Remember the saying, “when there’s smoke, there’s fire”? Well, this is basically the same principle used by smoke alarms. There are generally two types of smoke alarms:
a) Photoelectric – This type of fire alarm “sees” the smoke. This fire alarm is particularly responsive to smoldering fires or the type of fires that give out a lot of smoke. These are ideal for places where there are things like PVC or foam. This fire alarm, though, is slightly more expensive than ionization alarms. This fire alarm must also be kept clean since it can give off false alerts due to dust and insects.
b) Ionization – This type of fire alarm detects the invisible particles caused by combustion. As opposed to the photoelectric fire alarm “seeing” the smoke, this type “feels” the smoke. This can best detect flaming fires with no visible smoke. However, you should not place this type of fire alarm in the kitchen as it is susceptible to false alarms. It is also cheaper than other types of fire alarms. However, this type of fire alarm does contain a bit of radioactive material, so it is best to be careful.
Fire alarm systems are as important as any home security system, they make sure that you and your family are safe in your natural environment. Learn more about fire prevention, fire monitoring, and Types Of Fire Alarm Systems [http://firealarm.homesecurityit.com/Fire_Alarm_Systems.html] go to the fire alarm system website at [http://firealarm.homesecurityit.com]
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