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What are Smoke Detectors?Photoelectric Smoke Detectors and Ionization Smoke Detectors. Smoke Detectors are two of the most common types of Smoke Detectors available in the market. Smoke Detectors are early warning safety devices that detect smoke and sound an audible warning to inform the residents of a premise about an impending fire Hazard. Smoke Detectors are more popular than other heat and flame detection devices on the account that Inhalation of Smoke (Carbon Dioxide/ Carbon Monoxide) poisoning kills more people than burns. Photoelectric Smoke DetectorA Photoelectric Smoke Detector uses a light beam to detect fire. These types of alarms consist of a light-sensitive chamber. Inside the alarm chamber, a beam of light is shot through an LED device straight across the chamber. A consistent flow of light particles is the standard set of the detector. When smoke enters the chamber, it scatters the LED light from the straight path. The photosensor installed in a different compartment of the same chamber is triggered by the scattering of the light particles to sound the alarm. Ionization Smoke DetectorsIonization Smoke Detectors consist of two electronically charged plates and a small amount of radioactive material in between the two plates. The radioactive material ionizes the air inside the chamber and allows the flow of ions between the two plates. When the smoke fills in the chamber and displaces the ionized air, the flow of current between the two plates is disrupted and this triggers the alarm. So, Which Type of Detector is better? Broadly speaking, Ionization Smoke Detectors work slightly better in high flame situations whereas Photoelectric Smoke Detectors work better in the case of a smoldering fire. To narrow it down in quantitative terms, in smoke alarm tests, Ionization Smoke Detectors typically will respond within 30 or 90 seconds faster in a high fast flame fire than a Photoelectric Smoke Detector. In the case of smoldering fires, Ionization Smoke Detectors respond an average of five to fifty minutes slower than Photoelectric Smoke Detectors. High Flame Fires are typically fast-spreading fires that produce less smoke. Smoldering fire is either the early stages before a high Flame fire or characterized as a slow-moving fire with a significant amount of smoke and little flame. According to NFPA, most of the deaths are caused by inhalation of smoke and not due to fatal burns. Carbon Dioxide and Carbon Monoxide poisoning incapacitate too quickly to make it to an otherwise accessible exit. Which makes smoldering fires much fatal than high flame fires. And based on tests, Ionization Detectors are only marginally more effective than Photoelectric Smoke Detectors even in case of high flame fires. Besides, Ionization Smoke Detectors are notoriously infamous for false alarms and degrade over time as the radioactive material contained in them loses its potency. For some more advanced industrial applications, you can also consider an Aspirating Smoke Detector. An Aspirating Smoke Detecton System consists of a a series of pipes – like vents – in the premies, attached to an aspirating smoke detection panel consisting of a sampling chamber that contniously monitors the air in every corner of the premis and detects any suspended smoke particle that may even be invisible to naked eye. The sampling chamber is consists of a Nephelometer or a similar device for an all round smoke detection system. Incedentally, the Nephelpmeter also works on similar principals as a photoelectric smoke detector but it is calibrated to detect even the smallest suspended particles in the air. Notofire Private Limited manufactures the most advanced Photoelectric Smoke Detectors and other smoke detectors in India; Addressable Smoke Detectors, Independent Smoke Detectors, Combination Smoke & Heat Detectors, and Aspirating Smoke Detectors. According to the NFPA, there are over 354,000 residential fires a year, causing, on average, around 2,600 deaths and over 11,000 injuries. The majority of fire-related deaths occur at night while people sleep. The important role of well-placed, quality smoke alarms is easy to see. There are two main types of smoke alarms – ionization and photoelectric. Understanding the difference between the two can help you make the best decision regarding the smoke alarms protecting your home or business.
How They WorkIonization smoke alarms and photoelectric alarms rely on drastically different mechanisms to detect fires:
Entities such as the Underwriters Laboratories (UL), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and others have conducted many studies in to determine key differences in performance between these two main types of smoke detectors. The findings from these studies and tests generally reveal the following:
Which Smoke Alarm is Best?The majority of fatalities caused by fires are not from the flames, but from smoke inhalation, which is why most fire-related fatalities - nearly two-thirds - happen during the night while people sleep. Since this is the case, it is apparent that having a smoke alarm that can quickly and accurately detect smoldering fires, fires that produce the most smoke, is extremely important. In this category, photoelectric smoke alarms clearly outperform ionization alarms. Additionally, in fast-flame fires, the differences between ionization and photoelectric alarms proved slight, and the NFPA concludes that a high-quality photoelectric alarm will still likely outperform an ionization alarm. Finally, since nuisance alarms lead people to disable smoke detectors, rendering them useless, photoelectric alarms demonstrate superiority in this realm as well, being far less susceptible to false alarms and thus less likely to be disabled. Clearly, photoelectric smoke alarms are the most accurate, reliable, and therefore safe option, a conclusion supported by the NFPA and observable in trends among manufacturers and fire safety organizations as well. With regards to combination alarms, there were no apparent or significant advantages observed. The NFPA concludes that the test-results do not justify requirements to install two-technology or photoelectric-ionization smoke alarms, though they do not necessarily hurt either. However, the NFPA concludes that photoelectric alarms with additional sensors, such as CO or heat sensors, does improve fire detection and reduce false alarms even more. Which Fire Alarms Do Experts Suggest?While photoelectric smoke alarms generally prove superior, and while many commercial entities are moving to photo-technology as their sole smoke alarm technology, many expert authorities such as the NFPA, the NASFM (National Association of State Fire Marshals), USFA (United States Fire Administration), and the Home Safety Council still strongly advise the use of both types of smoke alarms in your home. The main argument behind the recommendation is that since ionization alarms typically respond faster to fast-fires and photoelectric alarms respond faster to smoldering fires, the presence of both types will be most effective in protecting a home. What Type of Smoke Alarm do You Have?Determining which type of smoke alarm you currently have can be difficult. If you find anything mentioning radioactive materials, a model number with an “I” or any mention of Americium-241 on the alarm’s label, it is an ionization alarm. If you find a “P,” it is a photoelectric alarm. If you are not sure what type of alarms you have, it is likely high time that you replaced them anyway. Be sure to select both ionization and photoelectric alarms for your home and place them appropriately – inside each bedroom, just outside every sleeping space, and one on every level of the house. Placing detectors near stairways and in the living room of the main floor (especially if it is a floor without bedrooms) is also advisable. Need Help?Not sure what types of smoke detectors you have or should get to best protect your home or business? Give the experts at Koorsen Fire and Security a call today to learn how they can help protect your property against fire. Don’t let tragedy catch you unprepared – protect your home and business today.
Topics: Fire Protection, Fire Safety, Fire Alarm Systems, Fire Safety & Security Are photoelectric smoke detectors the best?National Fire Protection Association:
For best protection, it is recommended both (ionization and photoelectric) technologies be used in homes.
What is the most reliable type of smoke detector?A dual sensor alarm provides the best protection and for that reason it is recommended. There are alarms available that are multicriteria or intelligent alarms, what this means is they use many different sensors such as photoelectric, ionization, and heat along with an algorithm to detect a fire.
Are ionization smoke detectors being phased out?Please note: Ionisation smoke alarms are now being phased out across the entire fire safety industry in favour of optical smoke alarms due to manufacturing, transportation, and disposal concerns around the radioactive material that ionisation smoke sensors rely on.
What is the advantage of a photoelectric smoke detector?Research indicates that these types of smoke alarms are generally more effective across a wider range of fires experienced in homes. They respond quicker to smouldering fires and the dense smoke given off by foam filled furnishings or overheated PVC wiring.
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Which is better smoke detector photoelectric or ionization
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