Residential Fire Detector Basics
Sunday, 01 November 2009 10:09 | 
Written by Todd Cavanaugh |
Most people have seen televised or printed images of a home fire. Many people have watched a house burn or seen the aftermath of a residential fire. In most cases, surviving a fire depends on having a good residential fire detector system.
Most people have seen televised or printed images of a home fire. Many people have watched a house burn or seen the aftermath of a residential fire. In most cases, surviving a fire depends on having a good residential fire detector system.
Why a Fire Detector is Essential
There are many reasons you need a fire detector. Here are a few of the most important. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) says that 4,000 - 5,000 lives are lost to home fires every year in the U.S. Another 20,000 are injured in fires. The leading causes of residential fires in houses and duplexes are heating systems (31%), kitchen (15%), and incendiary or suspicious (10%).
Accidental home fires that result in more than one death are most often caused by cigarettes and portable heating devices. Contrary to popular belief, most residential fires (according to NFPA) do not start in the kitchen. This accounts for only 7.6% of fires. Surprisingly, 83% of home fires start in the living room and 20.8% in the bedroom. Only 1.5% began in heating equipment areas.
Further, they found that of all fires that caused multiple deaths, 81% occurred at night, when people were sleeping. According to the U.S. Fire Administration nearly half of all people killed in multiple-death fires were preschool age children or older adults (over 65). At least half of these deaths, they estimate, could have been prevented if the homeowner had invested in a fire detector.
Parts and Types of Fire Detectors and Fire Detector Systems
There are two main kinds of fire detector sensors used in homes: smoke detectors and heat sensors. These are often supplemented with glass-break sensors and motion sensors.
The heat detector is the first component of a fire detector system. You can use either a "fixed-temperature" sensor that triggers the alarm if the heat in the room exceeds a pre-set level, or you can use a "rate of rise" sensor that trips the alarm if the heat inside the house rises too quickly.
There are also two types of smoke detector alarms. These devices are designed to detect smoke before the fire erupts. Although the ionization detectors are commonly used, photo-electric sensors are more popular because they are able to detect the slower-erupting type of home fire that smolders for some time before erupting.
Security and fire professionals usually are unanimous in recommending for every home a combination of the two types of fire detector. In addition, the motion sensors for your security system will also respond to the movement of smoke or flame. The alarms from glass-break sensors can also help you determine the location of the hottest part of the fire. These two pieces of information are quite helpful in determining an escape route for your family.
Where Do the Sensors Go?
Where you place heat and smoke sensors is as important as having good equipment. Fire officials recommend that at the very least, your fire detector system should include a smoke detector outside each area of the home where people sleep. There should be at least one smoke detector on each level of the house, including the basement.
Better protection can be achieved by installing the following:
- a photo-electric smoke detector in the bedroom of any member of the family who is a smoker
- a heat detector in any bedroom where portable heating devices are used or other small appliances
- heat sensors make sense in the dining room, kitchen, heating equipment room, utility room and garage.
Programming heat sensors should take the following into account:
- Any sensor in a kitchen can result in false alarms because of burned food or accumulated heat.
- garage temperatures, especially if the garage is not insulated, can rise to extreme levels
- sensors of any kind should not be installed in front of air vents, doors or windows
Finally, like your burglar alarm or home security system, your fire detector system should be connected to your monitoring company or directly to the local fire department (depending on local practices).
If you will take the time to discuss a fire detector system with your home security professional, you will be able to protect your family and your property with an effective and efficient use of the right sensors in the most appropriate places.
Most people have seen televised or printed images of a home fire. Many people have watched a house burn or seen the aftermath of a residential fire. In most cases, surviving a fire depends on having a good residential fire detector system.
Why a Fire Detector is Essential
There are many reasons you need a fire detector. Here are a few of the most important. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) says that 4,000 - 5,000 lives are lost to home fires every year in the U.S. Another 20,000 are injured in fires. The leading causes of residential fires in houses and duplexes are heating systems (31%), kitchen (15%), and incendiary or suspicious (10%).
Accidental home fires that result in more than one death are most often caused by cigarettes and portable heating devices. Contrary to popular belief, most residential fires (according to NFPA) do not start in the kitchen. This accounts for only 7.6% of fires. Surprisingly, 83% of home fires start in the living room and 20.8% in the bedroom. Only 1.5% began in heating equipment areas.
Further, they found that of all fires that caused multiple deaths, 81% occurred at night, when people were sleeping. According to the U.S. Fire Administration nearly half of all people killed in multiple-death fires were preschool age children or older adults (over 65). At least half of these deaths, they estimate, could have been prevented if the homeowner had invested in a fire detector.
Parts and Types of Fire Detectors and Fire Detector Systems
There are two main kinds of fire detector sensors used in homes: smoke detectors and heat sensors. These are often supplemented with glass-break sensors and motion sensors.
The heat detector is the first component of a fire detector system. You can use either a "fixed-temperature" sensor that triggers the alarm if the heat in the room exceeds a pre-set level, or you can use a "rate of rise" sensor that trips the alarm if the heat inside the house rises too quickly.
There are also two types of smoke detector alarms. These devices are designed to detect smoke before the fire erupts. Although the ionization detectors are commonly used, photo-electric sensors are more popular because they are able to detect the slower-erupting type of home fire that smolders for some time before erupting.
Security and fire professionals usually are unanimous in recommending for every home a combination of the two types of fire detector. In addition, the motion sensors for your security system will also respond to the movement of smoke or flame. The alarms from glass-break sensors can also help you determine the location of the hottest part of the fire. These two pieces of information are quite helpful in determining an escape route for your family.
Where Do the Sensors Go?
Where you place heat and smoke sensors is as important as having good equipment. Fire officials recommend that at the very least, your fire detector system should include a smoke detector outside each area of the home where people sleep. There should be at least one smoke detector on each level of the house, including the basement.
Better protection can be achieved by installing the following:
- a photo-electric smoke detector in the bedroom of any member of the family who is a smoker
- a heat detector in any bedroom where portable heating devices are used or other small appliances
- heat sensors make sense in the dining room, kitchen, heating equipment room, utility room and garage.
Programming heat sensors should take the following into account:
- Any sensor in a kitchen can result in false alarms because of burned food or accumulated heat.
- garage temperatures, especially if the garage is not insulated, can rise to extreme levels
- sensors of any kind should not be installed in front of air vents, doors or windows
Finally, like your burglar alarm or home security system, your fire detector system should be connected to your monitoring company or directly to the local fire department (depending on local practices).
If you will take the time to discuss a fire detector system with your home security professional, you will be able to protect your family and your property with an effective and efficient use of the right sensors in the most appropriate places.
About the Author:
Todd Cavanaugh is a ten-year home security business owner. His company installs pre-wired and wireless monitored security systems, 24-hour surveillance cameras, access control systems and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. For more information, see his recommendations on how to choose a fire detector.