Everything You Need to Know About Smoke Alarms

10/13/2019 (Permalink)

It is ideal to test your smoke alarm

Fires can be unpredictable and occur at any point. The people in your Brandon, MN, home may not always notice them immediately. A smoke alarm can detect the fire's smoke and activate a loud alarm to warn everyone in the building. Continue reading to learn more about these devices and how they increase the safety of your house.

Locations for Alarms

The installation of alarms may not be enough to be effective. There are some specific strategies to consider when placing them around the home.

• Install them in high places or near the ceiling
  
• Place them near bedrooms to wake up the inhabitants
  
• Use at least one in every floor
  
• Avoid locations where it is hot or smoke is common, such as kitchens
  
  
• Also, choose a location depending on whether the alarm runs on electricity or batteries. Keep extra batteries around in case of an outage.
  

Smoke Detector Types

There are two common types of smoke alarm: ionization and photoelectric. Ionization detectors contain Americium-241, which creates a current from ionized air. Fast smoke from a flaming fire can interact with the current, activating it. Meanwhile, photoelectric detectors find slow smoke from smoldering fires when the smoke redirects an internal light to the sensor. Both alarm types are recommended to account for both kinds of fires.

Testing and Replacement

A malfunctioning system can fail to timely warn everyone, leading to overwhelming fire damage. While fire cleanup services can help you salvage your home, it is ideal to test the alarm and replace batteries or the device itself if necessary. Press the "test" button to ensure it works. If not, replace the battery and try again. If it continues, it is time to replace it. Modern devices have long battery lives and can last up to 10 years from the manufacturing date. After that, you may need to replace the alarm regardless of testing.
The smoke alarm is an essential tool that detects fires and warns everyone fast. Functional detectors in specific locations can help you and others prevent destructive fires.