Fire Detection Systems - Fire Protection Equipment

This article discusses Fire Detection Systems - Fire Protection Equipment. The danger of house fires hits a peak in winter as families spend more time indoors and heavy demands are put on heating and electrical wiring systems.
The best defense: A combination of smoke, heat, and ion detecting alarms installed throughout the house. Cost: About $200. They can cost up to $2,000 for sophisticated units that alert police and fire departments. See Fire Detection for more information.
What the three basic detector units sense:

• Opaque smoke from a fire.
• A rise in temperature.
• Electrically charged particles (ions) that are produced in the earliest stages of most house fires.
The three types are often packaged together. All can be bought to run on house current or on batteries.
What is available:
Smoke alarm. Cost: Often less than $10 per unit, including an alkaline 9-volt transistor radio battery. Requires a new battery every six months or so. Drawback: Will not detect some types of fires as quickly as an ion detector will. Good for rooms used for entertaining.
Heat detector. Cost: Under $25. Most often hooked up to house current, not operated by a battery. A household unit is normally set to go off at 120°. Drawback: A fire may get out of control and give off toxic fumes before the home heat sensor sounds the alarm. Best locations: Kitchen, storage areas, furnace room, garage. In remote locations, they can trigger an off-site alarm that will continue ringing even after the sensing element is consumed by fire. (Some battery-powered smoke and ion detectors can be equipped with transmitting devices to do the same thing, but they are not always available.)
Ion detector. Cost: $15 to $40 (including the battery). Note: The cheaper versions sometimes use an expensive 1l.2-volt silver-zinc battery, which is hard to find. Best: A unit run on a 9-volt radio battery instead. Disadvantage: It's so sensitive that it can be set off by moderate cigarette smoke, fireplace heat, or even kitchen fumes. Best locations: Bedrooms, upstairs hall, furnace room.
Battery versus house power. Ionization and smoke detectors powered by house current are most expensive and more difficult to install than battery units, especially in older homes. They must be equipped with standby rechargeable batteries; otherwise they won't protect during power outages (a period when fires often start, since candles are being used and power lines get knocked down, sending sparks flying). Nevertheless, most families eventually tire of the battery-changing routine, or they put off changing a dead battery for weeks. Best: A mix of power sources as well as detector types.

To Fire Detection Systems - Fire Protection Equipment - Top

Suggested:
House current in remote locations. Example: The attic.
Batteries in units that are easy to reach. Example: The ceiling of a front hall, within arm's length of stairway to second floor.
How many? Professionals can sense household air flows and use fewer units to provide adequate protection. Do-it-yourselfers should aim for a unit in every room, except bathrooms, and one at both the bottom and the top of every staircase.
Note: Consider buying an extra battery powered smoke detector that earn be carried when traveling, for protection in hotels. The units are lightweight and can be placed atop a hotel-room cabinet, near the ceiling.

Carpet Fire Hazard: Acrylic carpets are gaining popularity among consumers. Reasons: They're colorfully attractive, look like wool, wear like nylon, resist fading, and are easy to clean. Caution: they are also extremely flammable. Advice: Look at the label first. If an acrylic carpet's fib er is at least 20% modacrylic, then it is flame-resistant to a degree that is at least comparable with other materials.

While searching the internet for fire detection systems be sure to add to your search string the name of your state and city so that you get local fire detection shops. For your convenient here is a list of US states and biggest cities: in Alabama, in Alaska, in Arizona, in Arkansas, in California, in Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, in Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, in Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, in New Jersey, New Mexico, in New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming. in New York, in Los Angeles, in Chicago, in Houston, in Philadelphia, in Phoenix, in San Antonio, San Diego, in Dallas, in San Jose, Detroit, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, in San Francisco, in Columbus, Ohio, Austin, Memphis, Baltimore, Fort Worth, Charlotte, El Paso, Milwaukee, Seattle, Boston, Denver, Louisville- Jefferson County, Washington, Nashville-Davidson, in Las Vegas, Portland, Oklahoma City, Tucson, Albuquerque, Long Beach, Atlanta, Fresno, Sacramento, New Orleans, Cleveland, Kansas City, UK, Virginia Beach, Omaha, Oakland, Miami, Tulsa, Honolulu, Minneapolis, Colorado Springs, Arlington.