There is one key purpose of a smoke alarm. This is to detect a fire before it is noticed by a human. While that sounds simple enough, what does it actually mean? In this blog post we explain what a smoke alarm is and how smoke alarms work.
This is the same for both businesses and homes. However, for the smoke alarms to work, they need to be in good working order. This means regular maintenance and servicing to keep them working their best.
Generally speaking, a fire alarm will be activated by an initial warning sign. In the case of a smoke alarm, the alarm will be triggered by the presence of smoke. Plumes of smoke are easily noticed by humans. This means that the fire could be seen. However, to get to the level of ‘plumes of smoke’ the fire needs to be pretty big. A good quality smoke alarm will sound as soon as smoke is present. This will be before someone could see it.
The initial smoke of a fire can often goes unnoticed by the human eyes and nose. This is especially the case when families are sleeping sounding at night, or businesses are closed for the day. This is when smoke alarms are needed. They can protect businesses and homes when people are sleeping sounding, or not in the property at all.
Once a smoke alarm detects the presence of smoke, the alarm will sound immediately. This is how smoke alarms work. The smoke alarm has been designed to awake those sleeping and attract the attention of anyone in or near the building. This will then give those within the building time to evacuate as safely as possible, before the fire becomes any bigger.
Want to know how smoke alarms really work? Smoke alarms are commonly ionisation style alarms. This means that a small amount of radioactive material sits between the two plates within the smoke alarm. These plates are electrically charged. The electric charge of the two plates causes the air to ionise. This means that the current flows between the two plates within the alarm. When smoke enters this area, the flow of the ions is disrupted. This disruption activates the smoke alarm and sets off the alert.
If you need help installing or maintaining smoke alarms in your home or business, call our team now.
