About Smoke and Fire Detectors

Imagine a situation in which you are fast asleep when a fire breaks out somewhere in your home. Smoke and fire detectors allow you to be alerted the moment that the smoke from the fire reaches the detector, rather than when the inferno has become out of control and escaping your house becomes impossible.

History

The concept behind the fire alarm was first thought of in the late 1800s by Francis Robbins Upton, but it was not until the 1930s that Swiss physicist Walter Jaeger accidentally invented the smoke detector. He was trying to create a poison gas detector, but his first prototype detected cigarette smoke rather than poisonous gas. The first affordable home smoke detectors were not produced until 1967; until then, only large businesses could afford them.

Types

Most smoke detectors fall into one of two categories. Optical detectors use light sensors to detect the fire. When smoke enters the smoke alarm, it defrays the light beam, which triggers the sensor and sounds the alarm. Ionization sensors are cheaper than optical sensors but they are more prone to false alarms. With these, when smoke enters the chamber of an ionization smoke detector it absorbs the alpha particles in a current between the electrodes, triggering the alarm.

Features

Smoke detectors use certain types of technology to detect smoke and then sound a fire alarm, either one that is contained within the smoke detector itself or one that is wired throughout the whole building. Fire alarms most commonly include loud audible tones, spoken voice alerts and visual strobe lights.

Benefits

The damage potential for a fire is immense, ranging from damage of property to the loss of life. Smoke alarms are the best way to keep your family safe, and in conjunction with a fire escape plan they can be life savers. All around the world, thousands of people have been saved by the simple presence of these alarms.

Warning

Make sure that your alarm is functional. The vast majority of houses in the United States have smoke detectors, but according to a recent study up to 30 percent of these alarms may not be functioning properly. Make it a practice to change the batteries in your detector twice a year. The easiest way to remember is to change them when you change your clocks for Daylight Savings Time. Most modern fire alarms have a test button that allows you to see if your fire alarm is working as it should.

Resources

• Find out about smoke alarms from the U.S. Fire Administration.
• Read reviews of the best smoke detectors.