When a house fire transpires, the most essential thing is an early warning, and one of the easiest and most reliable ways to get that early warning – that could prevent injuries, death, or further damage to the building and property – is installing a smoke alarm or several of them in your home.
However, if you never purchase such a gadget before, you might be wondering – how can I choose the best type for my house? Fortunately for all individuals, this article might shed some lights on the things you need to consider, so, without further ado, let’s take a closer look at the tips you must keep in mind when searching for a suitable smoke detector for your house:
1. Firstly, Learn What Types There Are
Now, when it comes to the types you can choose, you’ll basically have two options – a smoke detector and a combination of a carbon monoxide and smoke alarm. When it comes to the first option, there are three types of traditional gadgets that you can opt for, including:
- Ionization Devices – which can identify small particles most common for flaming and fires that spread quickly. These gadgets can be triggered if you, for example, burn the food or when there is steam coming from your bathroom, hence, you might not want to install it near a bathroom or kitchen.
- Photoelectric Devices – which can identify larger particles from smoldering and smoky flames, however, it won’t be able to catch flames that are spreading quickly. Again, this particular type is also prone to give false alarms, hence, do not place it near your kitchen or bathroom.
- Dual-Sensor Devices – which is a combination of the aforementioned types and that is capable of identifying all fire types, meaning that it will offer the best protection. Nonetheless, you’ll still need to ensure that there aren’t any carbon monoxide leaks in your house, which leads us to our next point.
The last type you should consider installing is a combination of a smoke and carbon monoxide detector. Such a gadget is capable of catching both CO and fumes, meaning that you can prevent both dangerous situations from occurring. Keep in mind, this option is a bit more expensive, but it will offer better protection.
2. The Placement is Important
You should know that the placement of the devices is extremely important. This is why various experts such as x-sense recommend that you place a smoke detector on each story of your house, in the halls, inside each bedroom, as well as the kitchen, garage, and living areas. Why should you install so many of them?
Well, it is quite easy to understand. Generally speaking, a family will have less than 5 minutes to escape from the time they hear the initial alarm. And, if you have several of them, you might hear the warnings going off sooner, which means that you and the people living with you will be able to get out in time.
3. Always Check The Regulations And Laws
Before you actually purchase something, it is important for you to check all the regulations and laws in your area. Different states and cities have different regulations, and by learning them, you’ll be able to know exactly what you need to purchase, including where you must place all of them and the types you might need to get.
4. Choose How The Gadgets Are Powered
CO and hard-wired alarms are connected to your house’s wiring system, which means that you’ll need to hire a professional for the installation. On the other hand, you can purchase battery-powered devices that are extremely easy to install, however, you’ll need to check whether or not they are working more often.
5. Should it Be Smart?
With all the advancements in technology, it is not that weird that these gadgets also became smart. And, by choosing smart models, you’ll immediately know if there is something wrong going on in your home. The only disadvantage of these particular models is that they most commonly come with a higher price tag than other options.
Additionally, you should know that most of these smart gadgets can be connected to your smartphone, which means that there is a Wi-Fi feature that comes with it. This will allow you to get notifications even when you are not at home, meaning that you could take proper action and save your home from getting ruined by the fire remotely.
6. Always Look For The UL Label
When browsing around, you need to check whether or not a particular product has an Underwriters Laboratories label. Besides this, you must also look for the manufacturing date, which is most commonly located at the back of the model or the packaging. Why should you do this?
Well, all devices lose their sensitivity over a long period of time, and the newer a device is, the better it will be at detecting smoke. Keep in mind, you’ll need to replace each of the smoke detectors after 10 years, and when it comes to the CO detectors, replace them every 5 years.
7. It Can Provide Voice Alerts
There are also products that provide voice alerts. Now, this is especially useful if you have smaller children. Generally, kids sleep more deeply, which is why they might not wake up when the detector sends the first alarms. Various studies concluded that kids from the ages of 6 to 12 wake up to the sounds of their mother or father, hence, prerecording alarms can help you with waking up your kids faster.
Conclusion
Installing several smoke detectors in your house will notify you if there is a fire, meaning that you and your family members can escape in time. And, since you’ll be able to get out in time, you’ll be able to call the fire apartment faster, meaning that you could prevent any further damages to your property, house, as well as assets, which is something that can save you a lot of money in repairs.
So, now that you are aware of the tips you must keep in mind when you are looking for such a device, you should not lose any more time. Instead, you might want to keep all the aforementioned tips in mind and start browsing online and brick-and-mortar businesses in order to find the gadgets that will suit your requirements and needs.
