Households might take precautionary measures and unplug appliances to prevent home fires. However, there are various other reasons why home fires occur so often and why households can’t overcome this issue. The National Fire Protection Association reports about 2620 annual deaths due to residential home fires. About 60% of these deaths are caused due to malfunctioning smoke detectors or no detectors at all in houses. SO, the lesson is clear enough. It takes a good placement position for a smoke detector to prevent huge tragedies at houses.
This article will explain where to place smoke detectors in your bedroom. Keep reading to know more!
Best Places to Install a Smoke Detector:
Understanding the mechanics of placing gas/ smoke detectors in a strategic position could save you trouble. If you dig deeper to explore the reasons why home fires occur, you will find plenty. Some of these reasons are:
- Electrical
- Heating
- Faulty appliances
- Overcooking
- No smoke alarms
There is nothing more crucial than home safety, and if we explore the reasons, the greatest threat to house safety is smoke and fire. Why not use efficient smoke detectors and fire alarms to keep these threats at a distance? We will guide you on placing these gas/ smoke detectors in your bedroom and other house parts. Let us explore further!
i) Install detectors in sleeping areas:
To begin with, you need to make sure all the sleeping areas are well-protected against fire and gas hazards. Installing gas detectors in sleeping areas or any part of your house where someone will sack out is a wise step. Even the window seats and sleeping porches are susceptible to gas and smoke hazards, and a detector there will keep the damage at bay.
ii) Install detectors in the ceiling:
Smoke detectors come in various shapes and types, as discussed. The ceiling-mounted detectors are well-off attached to a ceiling for better performance. These detectors are connected using a retrofit wiring system to keep them functional. One should install smoke detectors a few inches away from the ceiling; however, the nearer, the better.
iii) Install detectors in a hallway:
The hallway is another crucial spot where you can put a smoke/fire detector to best use. A hallway in your house may serve attached bedrooms, whether two or three, and the best place to position the detector here is the central location between bedroom doors.
iv) Install detectors in different rooms:
All the rooms in your apartment or flat must have efficient smoke detectors in place. If these rooms have their exit routes through a great room or a hall, that hall or great hall must also have a detector. Any room you will pass through, from bedrooms to exterior doors, must also have smoke detectors.
What are the Different Types of Smoke Detectors?
After we are done with where we can place these detectors, why not dig deeper into their types? It would give us more comprehensive knowledge of what we have been discussing or working on. Despite being lumped as “smoke detectors” sometimes, there are various types of these detectors. Let us dive deep into them without any further ado!
1. Heat Detectors:
The first-ever fire detectors belonged to this category, and these detectors represent a fairly older technology. Heat detectors are designed to set the alarm ON when something unpleasant is detected in the atmosphere. The detecting component inside these units activates the alarm when it reaches a predetermined temperature level.
Small and confined spaces are well-off with heat detectors where the detection speed is not that critical. However, these alarms are known to be slower in detecting fire or smoke, so the placement of these detectors is once again stressed upon.
2. Smoke Alarms:
Compared with heat detectors, smoke alarms detect smoke and fire more quickly. The state-of-the-art technology of these smoke alarms is quick enough to detect and set the alarm ON in no time. Smoke alarms are currently sold in various types under different names. Do you know what these types are? Let us discuss them shortly!
i) Photoelectric:
This type of smoke alarm operates on a light source and a photoelectric sensor inside them, and the light travels from one point to another inside an optical chamber. When the smoke particles enter the optical chamber, it results in a disturbance in the light path. This disturbance scatters the light in the chamber, which activates the photoelectric sensor. A photoelectric smoke detector is often used in smoldering fire areas.
ii) Ionization:
Ionization smoke alarms work on radioactive materials and electrodes inside them. A faint electrical current is produced inside these alarms due to the presence of radioactive materials. When smoke particles enter the chamber, the current flow is interrupted, which turns the alarm ON. Places, where there is a threat of fierce fires are well-off with ionization alarms.
The NFPA recommends using both technologies for better workspace and house protection. Is your house equipped with modern-day gas detectors? If not, it’s high time you contact gas detector suppliers in UAE and buy a suitable detector for your house.
What are the right Positioning Strategies for Installing Smoke Detectors?
Your smoke detectors will only work for you if you position them in the right place. The positioning strategies are not as simple as they sound, and you must take someone expert on board before nailing them. The National Fire Protection Association has outlined various standard recommendations, which may be a basis for your positioning. However, you need to consider the following points while placing these detectors.
- Install smoke detectors inside bedrooms, outside sleeping areas, and in stairways.
- Install them in the living room on levels without bedrooms.
- Smoke alarms placed in the basement must be installed on the ceiling. You can also install it at the bottom of the stairs that leads to the next level.
- Place these detectors at least 10 feet from a cooking appliance.
- It would be best to mount these alarms high on walls and ceilings.
- One must install smoke alarms in pitched ceilings within 3 feet of the peak. It would be best to avoid installing it at the apex of the peak.
- Avoid installing smoke alarms near windows, ducts, and doors.
- Never paint or decorate smoke alarms as they can keep these alarms from working.
- It would be best to interconnect all the smoke alarms. If one smoke alarm sounds, the rest will sound too.
Most people crave hardwired smoke detectors as they can provide better protection. It is worth remembering that a battery-enabled smoke detector is better than a no detector. Now is the time to make your house safe and sound from potential fire hazards by purchasing smoke alarms and gas detectors from safety equipment suppliers.
Update your house safety system with smoke alarms!
Your house might be exposed to various fatal hazards you are unaware of. What if these hazards overcome the threshold someday, and you find yourself in deep trouble? The best way to keep these hazards at a distance is to upgrade your house safety system by installing smoke and fire alarms. Consider contacting safety equipment suppliers in UAE today to place your order!
