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Fire is one of the biggest causes of death in the US. According to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), in 2015, there were around 501,500 structure fires, which resulted in 2,685 deaths. A gruesome rate indeed! This amounted to 37% of the death rate due to fires. The total count also included 13,000 civilian injuries and $10.3 billion in property damage. A reason that contributes to this death rate is the lack of smoke and heat detectors in the house. 31% of these deaths that occurred in homes were due to lack of smoke alarms, whereas the reason behind another 19% was shocking: Their fire alarms were not functioning.
When it comes to fire, there are two types of fire alarms that should be taken into consideration: Smoke detectors and heat detectors. Electricians in Tyler, TX recommends that both these alarms should be installed, in case there’s even a hint of fire. Below these smoke and heat alarms explained in detail, so that you can understand which will suit your house the best.
Heat Detector Systems
A heat detector alarm is a system that detects the rising level of temperature caused by a fire. This alarm gives you a warning that the fire has reached a high level and that you should immediately evacuate your house. In short: Heat detectors respond to fire instead of smoke. The reason why a large number of populations install a heat detector in their house through electrical contractors Tyler, TX is because they are cheap and are rigged with a mechanism that turns on the fire sprinklers and other types of systems that suppress fire.
Heat detector alarms are most useful in kitchen, basement, boiler room, garage and unfinished attic. Basically, a heat detector should be installed through electrical contractors Tyler, TX in any area where any kind of fumes are present in high levels. Since, they respond to fire, they will not be a nuisance due to slightest change in the temperature. For this same reason, it shouldn’t be installed near cooling and heating supply vents, fans or window moulding because the heat from these things may interfere with the alarm’s system and prevent it from detecting the fire. Following are the two types of heat detector systems:
1. Fixed Temperature
This type of heat detector can be found in every house. This detector operates on the principle of when an object reaches its eutectic point and changes from solid to liquid. Due to thermal lag preventing the heat from reaching a sensitive point, the surrounding temperature rises slowly. Once the temperature reaches a critical rate, the fixed temperature alarm detects the heat and raises an alarm. Electrical contractors Tyler, TX recommends installing both these detectors in small houses.
2. Rise of Rise (ROR)
An ROR has two thermocouples. One monitors heat that is transferred by radiation and the other detects temperature change in the surrounding. An ROR having a fixed threshold operates in lower temperature fire. However, this alarm does not respond to a fire that is slowly developing.
Both these heat detectors are for the safety of residential property and not for lives. One cannot be swapped for another, depending on your house’s structure. A room filled with combustible material will require and ROR, whereas a fixed temperature will be needed in the kitchen to provide a safety net from accidents.
Smoke Detector Systems
Smoke detector alarms are intended for the safety of human lives. They warn homeowners that a fire is about to erupt, giving them plenty of time to locate the source of the fire or evacuate the house and wait for the fire department to arrive. The beauty of smoke detector alarms is that they raise an alarm when a fire is spotted; hence they are a less nuisance than heat detectors. Plus, they can be paired with devices to find out where exactly the fire is raging, so that people have plenty of time to get out of the house. Following are the three types of heat detector systems that are recommended by electricians in Tyler, TX:
1. Ionization
This type of smoke alarm detects flaming fires. The ionization smoke alarms works by sensing the electrical charge in the environment. It has a small radioactive material between its charged plates, which upon ionizing the air, causes the current to flow freely between the plates. Once the pathway is free, smoke enters through the plates and disrupts the ions, which reduces current flow and triggers the alarm.
2. Photoelectric
This type of alarm detects fires that have been smouldering. The photoelectric alarm has a light sensing chamber, which detects the fire visually. At its normal state, the light is reflected at an angle that does not reach the chamber. Once the smoke enters the sensor chamber, light refracts and hits the sensor and triggers the alarm. Electrical contractors Tyler, TX believes that this type of smoke detector can save lives faster and on-time, before the fire blows out of proportions.
3. Dual Sensor
A dual sensor alarm has both the ionization and photoelectric sensor. Plus, homeowners can set the sensitivity on the alarm on their own, depending on their house structure. However, electricians in Tyler, TX believe that a dual sensor alarm can malfunction due to the ionization sensor, causing a delay in the photoelectric sensor. Since the former is weak in detecting high changes in airflow environment, electricians in Tyler, TX believe that it can lead to poor performance of the photoelectric sensor.
Compared to heat detectors, smoke detectors are more expensive but have an upper hand on the former. In a tossup between ionization and photoelectric, a photoelectric alarm is a better choice, since it detects smouldering fire. According to International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), a photoelectric alarm is better because they are less susceptible to nuisance and they detect fire at an early stage. Electricians in Tyler, TX recommends installing a combination of both alarms to keep yourself and your house secure from all corners.
Electrical contractors Tyler, TX such as Mister Sparky are in the business of providing installation services for all kind of smoke and heat detectors and fire alarm systems. For more information about their services, call at 843-535-4715.
