How To Choose A Suitable Smoke Alarm

change your smoke detector

Even the smallest of house fires can fill your home with dangerous smoke in a few minutes. It's critical that you select the correct smoke alarm for your home, have them properly installed and perform regular tests on.

residential smoke detectors come in two types, one is photoelectric, and the other is an ionization detector. In a photoelectric detector a beam of light is aimed into a chamber containing a photocell. Smoke goes into the chamber, which then scatters light, allowing some of the light to reach a photocell and set off the alarm. A smoky fire will normally set off a photoelectric detector sooner than a flaming fire.

The ionization detector has a small amount of a radioactive element that ionizes the air which gives of a tiny electrical charge. Smoke particles reduce this flow of current, and set the device into alarm.

Which type of detector works best? Each type has its advantages and disadvantages. Many of today's photoelectric units are wired into your homes electrical system. This means that if there is a loss of power, you will not be protected. Units that use ionization normally run on house current and have a battery for backup. They do however have a somewhat higher numner of false alarms. It would be a good idea to use both - an ionization detector in your bedroom hallway, and photoelectric in your main living area.

A general rule is to have a minimum of one smoke detector for every level of your home. You should also keep these guidelines in mind:

Do not install smoke detectors close to the kitchen, furnace, garage, or just outside a bathroom door. Try not to install a smoke detector in an area where there may not be enough circulation, i.e. corners. Install each smoke alarm on a ceiling or on a wall roughly 8 to 10 inches below the ceiling.

Once your detectors are installed, test each of them monthly. Almost every model these days comes with a button that makes this quite simple. If your smoke detector is not equipped with a test button simple test is to just light a candle blow it out and allow the smoke to waft into the smoke detector. The smoke should set off the alarm.

Smoke detector batteries should be replaced every year. It is simple to remember to do this on dates such as your birth date or the beginning of daylight savings time. While doing this, use a soft brush to clean the inside of the detector and its vents to ensure the unit's reliability.

For more information about First Alert smoke detectors