Fire and Smoke Alarm Systems

Smoke and fire alarms can save lives. The occupant and the housing company are responsible for the acquisition and maintenance of smoke alarms in Finland. It is the duty of the occupant of the flat, i.e. the resident, to buy a smoke alarm and to keep it in good working order. Smoke alarms must meet the requirements of standard SFS-EN 14604 Smoke alarm devices.

There is a large variety of smoke alarms used in housing. Smoke alarms save lives. Smoke alarms that are properly installed and maintained play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries. If there is a fire in your home, smoke spreads fast and you need smoke alarms to give you time to get out.

How Do Smoke Detectors Work? | Spec. Sense

How does a smoke detector work? In this episode of Spec. Sense, Vance explains the differences between photoelectric and ionization smoke detectors. You’ll learn how smoke alarms work, how these sensors know when there’s a fire and why its best to install a dual sensor detector.

Home Maintenance: How To- Change Smoke Detector Battery

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9iKopZ2NeU

Here are quick and easy steps to change a smoke detector correctly. Marty from Liberty Homes, UT will walk you through the steps to stop the chirping noise while keeping your home safe.

Battery change for Kidde smoke alarm

Next some information how smoke alarms work. Most modern smoke alarms work using optical detector or ionization detector technology.

Smoke Alarm Tips – Ionization vs Photoelectric

Inside a proper optical smoke detector

A look inside a £5 photoelectric smoke detector that uses infrared light to detect an increasing smoke level in a room.

This unit uses a dedicated chip that is designed to self test in several ways. The shielded infrared smoke detection chamber has an emitter and sensor positioned to avoid direct light coupling. The sounder is driven by a dedicated section of the chip with proper feedback to ensure it is loud by resonating at its maximum efficiency.

Ionization smoke detectors use a small amount of radioactive material, americium-241, to detect smoke encased in a layer of foil and ceramic protection chamber. Ionization smoke detectors use americium as a source of alpha particles. Alpha particles from the americium source ionize air molecules. This makes some particles positively charged and some negatively charged. Two charged plates inside of the ionization smoke detector create a flow of positively and negatively charged ions. The smoke alarm triggers when smoke breaks the constant flow of ions. There is no health threat from ionization smoke detectors as long as the detector is not damaged and used as directed.

How smoke detectors work

I strongly it recommended that you buy fire alarms from local suppliers that sell alarms that are is compliant with your countries regulations. There are very poor quality smoke detectors on eBay that use a cheap microcontroller to give basic functionality (if they even work at all) but for just a little more you can get real branded units.

What is a Fire Alarm System? A fire alarm system is a mechanism of different interconnected devises and components used to alert us in case of emergency especially fire to protect the staff and general public by taking appropriate actions. Fire alarm system is the combination of different components such as smoke detector, heat detector, carbon monoxide detector, multi sensor detector, call points, sounders, bells, relay module, repeater, annunciator, fire control panel and other related and optional security devices designed for fire alarm control system. For more information on those fire alarm systems and how they are wired go to Types of Fire Alarm Systems and Their Wiring Diagrams article.