Choosing the right smoke detector is an important part of fire prevention in your household.
When a fire occurs or is about to occur, the best thing for you and everyone in your house is early detection. With a good smoke detector, you’ll have more time to react to the situation to get your family out of the house or prevent the fire entirely.
Though while talking about smoke detectors, it is also important to note that fire safety systems such as fire alarms or smoke detectors could malfunction. In such cases, where you are conducting necessary maintenance works, you should take necessary precautions lest any catastrophic events happen. You are required by NFPA to hire a certified watch guard to ensure fire protection. A fire watch guard monitors the entire site and is equipped to handle if any emergency situation arises. You might want to check out 24-Hour Fire Watch, if you need long-term or short-term fire watch guards during the time of any special occasion, construction work etc. But apart from this, its always safe to have fire detectors as well all the time in case you are not permanently availing the fire guard services.
Not all smoke detectors hit the mark when it comes to quality. In this post, we’re going to tell you how to choose a smoke detector so that you feel safe and protected in your home. Read on and you’ll rest easy knowing that your detector has your back.
Learn the Differences
There are a couple of main options for smoke detectors and you should learn about the differences. The first important one is deciding between a heat detector and a smoke detector. In most residential homes, heat detectors simply won’t act fast enough and they’re best kept in small apartments where they can detect heat quickly.
In smoke detectors, you’ll have to choose between photoelectric/optical sensing alarms and ionization sensing alarms. Photoelectric alarms detect smoke particles optically and are generally better at detecting small fires. Ionization alarms can detect minimal amounts of smoke particles in the air.
A photoelectric alarm will have a “p” somewhere on the alarm and an ionization one will have an “i”. Some of the more modern units will use a dual-sensor system that really is the best of both worlds.
Look at Interconnected Systems
Something else you may want to consider is whether or not to get an interconnected system. With these, as one alarm detects smoke and goes off, it’ll set off every other alarm on your property.
This system can help you react more quickly to the fire and can be really beneficial if you’ve got a detached unit that you want to keep safe. That said, it can be annoying when the alarm goes off from the oven or stove and sets the entire house off.
Look for Easy Setup and Maintenance
When checking out online customer reviews and comparing smoke detector features, it’s important to look for ease of setup. Most modern smoke alarms should be fairly straightforward and hardwired with a battery backup. The alarm should be loud and suitable for the hard of hearing.
Like anything mechanical in your home, you may have to have your smoke detectors repaired from time to time. Testing them once a year is crucial and if you encounter problems, check it out with a reputable technician near you. It’s worth the cost and effort to ensure that your smoke detector is up to snuff.
Choose a Smoke Detector That Works
Now that you know how to choose a smoke detector, you can select one that works best for your living situation. Finding the right smoke detector isn’t hard if you know what you’re looking at, so find something high-quality with good customer reviews and don’t look back.
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