| Choosing A Smoke Detectors |
 Be sure that the smoke detector you buy bears the label of an independent testing laboratory, such as UL or FM. Several types of detectors are available. Some run on batteries, others on household current (now smoke detectors have both, usually for new construction or major remodeling).
All approved smoke detectors, regardless of type, will offer adequate protection provided they are installed and maintained properly.
Ionization Smoke Detectors- These units detect the fire's visible and invisible smoke particles. Smoke reduces the electric current within the unit, which in turn starts the alarm.
Photoelectric Smoke Detector- These units also detect smoke particles, but only those large enough to be "seen" by the unit. The smoke blocks the path of a light beam within the detectors.
There are units available that have both ionization and photoelectric detection within the smoke detector unit. These should improve detector reliability by reducing false alarms.
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How Many Do I Need?
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), minimum protection requires a smoke detector outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement. On floors without bedrooms, detectors should be installed in or near living areas such as dens, living rooms, or family room.
Be sure everyone sleeping in your home can hear your smoke detectors' alarms even with bedroom doors closed. If not, or if any residents are hearing- impaired, install additional detectors inside bedrooms. For the hearing impaired, there are smoke detectors that flash a strobe light in addition to sounding an audible alarm.
For extra protection, NFPA suggests installing additional detectors in dining rooms, furnace rooms, utility rooms, and hallways. Smoke detectors are not recommended for kitchens, bathrooms, or garages – where cooking fumes, steam, or attics and other unheated spaces – where humidity and temperature changes might affect a detector's operation. |
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A Brief History of The Smoke Detector |
George Darby first invented the smoke detector in 1902. Before scientists knew how to capture ionizing molecules in a small enclosed space, they actually used an open/close electrical system along with a wedge of butter to detect fires and heat.
This system’s setup included two plates or electrical circuits, not unlike today’s Ionization alarms, with a wedge of butter between them. When the heat of the room became overwhelming and dangerous, the butter would melt, causing the two circuits to collapse onto one another, initiating the alarm.
Since then, technology has found a way to capture light and molecules in a cheaper, more efficient, and safer way to save millions of lives each year.
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Starring: Dave Zalba
©2008 produced by the Mentor Firefighters' Historical Association Media division | |
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