They’re loud, they’re annoying, but they’re super important! We are talking about smoke detectors. These nifty little devices are by far the most effective and necessary ways in which to protect yourself within your home. When you have your smoke detectors professionally installed, you are ensuring that you and your family are safe against the threat of fire.
However, what many homeowners don’t realize, is that there are many different types of smoke detectors for you to choose from. Ultimately, the best way to choose is by consulting with a professional electrician in Lake Stevens, WA, but in the meantime, you can just keep reading below to find out more!
Your Smoke Detector Options
When it comes to fire safety, you have quite a few options, including:
- Photoelectric smoke detectors: These operate via the use of a few key components, including a light source, a light beam collimating system, and a photoelectric sensor. The path of the light beam is disrupted when smoke makes its way into the detector. Specifically, smoke particles scatter some light when they enter the optical chamber. The light is directed toward the sensor, which sounds the alarm. Because such smoke detectors rely on smoke in order to disrupt the light beam, they are ideal for smoldering, smoky fires.
- Ionization smoke detectors contain a very small amount of radioactive material within. The radiation makes its way through an ionization chamber. There is a constant current between the two electrodes inside. When smoke enters the chamber, it will absorb particles and reduce the ionization. This interrupts the current, which the detector recognizes and causes the alarm to sound. This is an ideal operation for detecting fast-moving fires.
Furthermore, there are smoke detectors, called combination smoke alarms, that utilize certain aspects from both of the devices we discussed above! We highly recommend either using both types of smoke alarms, or at least a combination smoke alarm, in your home.
Consult With a Professional
The best way to protect you and your family against the threat of house fires is by contacting a trained and certified professional electrician who can match you with the smoke detector that best meets your safety needs. You want to make absolutely certain that your new smoke detector is installed correctly the first time around, and by hiring a professional, you’ll be able to do just that.
And sure, you might be tempted to install your smoke detector yourself, but trust us, when it comes to your safety, you don’t want to take any risks. It’s always best to call in a pro. You can put your complete confidence in our team’s ability to handle an electrical installation like this, since we have a long history of delivering the finest possible work on electrical appliances. We are focused on safety and doing the finest job possible so you won’t have to have concerns about the safety of your household.
To learn more about your smoke detector options, contact the team at G & S Heating, Cooling, & Electrical. A Service Company You Can Depend On.
