6 Tips About Smoke Detectors That Will Actually Save Your Life

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You can never be too cautious, especially when it comes to your home and family. So, in the spirit of Check Your Batteries Day, we’ve decided to inform you about smoke detectors and house fires safety. And you’ve probably had a security system and exterior motion lights installed, which make your home a a little bit safer. However, the culprit is sometimes not a burglar but fire. Do you have a precaution for this one? Your life depends on it. One minute and not a second more is all the time you’ll have to get out of the house in case of a domestic fire.

1. Installation Is Mandatory

Have a professional like Bob’s Handyman Services reliable electricians to install smoke alarms around your household. Fires can happen anywhere in the household, so you need to be prepared to react as quick as possible. Have them placed in every room and corridor on every floor of your home, especially if your it is larger.

2. Types Of Smoke Detectors

There are two types of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. But how do smoke alarms actually work?

• Ionisation Smoke alarms

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In general, these are considered more sensitive to flaming fires. They function with the help of a small amount radioactive material between their plates, which have electrical charge. This helps the device ionise the air particles which flow between the two plates. When there’s a fire the ion air flow is disturbed and decreasing the current flow and in its own turn activates the alarm.

• Photoelectric Alarms

Those are highly responsive to the so-called smouldering fires. This type of fire characterises with a longer smoke-producing phase, which could cause suffocation and then turns into flames. Those smoke signal systems have a very interesting mechanism. When smoke enters into the smoke detector’s chamber a light reflects onto a light sensor and triggers the alarm in order to inform you. Our advice is to get both types installed around your home, as you could never be too cautious.

3. Smoke Alarm Maintenance

They must be checked every month. Thus you’ll know if they function properly and if they need a battery change. If you don’t have the possibility to do it monthly, do it at least every few months, or, in the worst case, every 6 months. Do not, under any circumstances, apply paint or similar on the smoke alarm. Paint will seal their vents and obstruct their proper function. Most smoke detectors have a lifespan up to approximately 10 years, but it would be best if you ask for this information when you buy them.

4. More Facts You Need To Know

If you have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors installed in the kitchen, make sure they’re far from the stove, as the steam released while you cook might activate them. If you have nowhere else to install them than under the cooker, make sure they’re at least 10 feet high.

5. Kiddie-proof The Dangerous Items

If you have children make sure they cannot reach the stove and cause a fire. Keep the lighters and any other fire source away from them, even if you have to store these in a drawer and have a child-proof lock installed.

6. Alarms For People With Disabilities

Ordinary smoke alarms cannot be efficient when one of the family members is deaf, as the conventional models emit a loud sound only. In this case you should think of other ways to warn the family members with hard of hearing. In this case you could install a combined strobe and vibrating pad which vibrates under the mattress or pillow in order to provide adequate warning . Smoke alarms which are suitable for people with hearing problems fall under the British Standard BS5446-3:2005. The smoke alarms for those members of your family who’re sight-impaired should be audible. They produce warning sounds and pause in cycles. Thus the visually-impaired could listen to instructions on how to.