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Fire Alarms Can Save Lives

September 28th, 2009 1 comment

Fire alarms help prevent death and property damage. While they can be pricey for a large system, fire alarms are worth every penny. In order to work effectively, fire alarms must be properly maintained. The entire system must also work together to save lives, property, and be economical. Smoke and heat detectors work with sprinkler systems to alert people to fire while extinguishing flames before the fire can spread.

The most important part of any fire alarm system is the smoke detector. Smoke detectors can save your life by alerting you to smoke from fire. You can find many smoke detectors that can also detect the odorless, but deadly carbon monoxide. Most rooms in the home should be equipped with a smoke detector. The number of smoke detectors in your home is determined by its size. Some areas may require several smoke detectors. All smoke detectors rely on batteries for power. Newly built homes will have smoke detectors already hooked to the electrical wiring, but they still contain a backup battery. Change your battery at least once a year, and check each smoke detector to make sure it works.

Heat detectors work with smoke detectors by alerting you to a dramatic change in temperature. Rate-of-rise heat detectors alert you to your home’s temperature change over a certain period of time, usually one minute. Any time your home’s temperature changes quickly the alarm will sound. Fixed temperature heat detectors will alert you when your home’s temperature reaches a specific fixed measurement.

Heat detectors can be used to compliment your fire alarm system, but it should never replace a smoke detector. By the time the heat detector sounds, the fire could have already spread rapidly around your home. Heat detectors are great to pair with smoke detectors because you can use them in places where smoke detectors are not allowed. The kitchen, for example, is one place that smoke detectors cannot be placed; so using a heat detector can alert you to a kitchen fire before a smoke detector in another room. Fixed temperature heat detectors are perfect for the kitchen since the rate-of-rise detector may sound when cooking due to a rapid rise in temperature.

Sprinklers cannot alert you to smoke or heat, but they can come in handy when a fire does break out. Sprinkler systems release water when a designated temperature is reached. The individual sprinkler heads will only activate if the temperature below hits this designated temperature threshold. This means that the sprinkler heads closest to the fire will activate, allowing more water to extinguish the fire before it spreads to other areas.

A sprinkler system will cause water damage to your home, but not having one can cause even more water and fire damage. Firefighters use more water than sprinkler systems to put out fires. Many times, the house is so engulfed in flames by the time the firefighters get to your home that it causes more fire damage.

Fire alarms have saved numerous lives. Smoke detectors are a necessary part of any fire alarm system. A combination of a smoke detector, heat detector, and sprinkler system can save property and lives.

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Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late: Home Fire Alarm Systems

September 2nd, 2009 No comments

Deadly fires caused by overheated appliances or faulty wiring pose a formidable threat to homeowners, as treasured memories and valuable property can quickly be transformed into a pile of wreckage, not to mention the terrifying possibility of losing your life or the life of a loved one. Ensure that your family and your home remains protected from the ravages of fire by installing a fire alarm system.

Fire alarm systems come in a variety of types depending on your budget, system preferences, and specific family needs. When choosing a fire alarm system for your home, take into consideration the kind of features you would want available to you in the event of a fire. Some systems are equipped with voice evacuation panels, manual pull stations, or special medical alert components that can be linked to your fire alarm system should a medical emergency occur.

Home security systems for burglary protection often will also offer fire alarm services. These systems provide full coverage should a fire occur when no one is home, and ensure a fast emergency response time by automatically alerting both the fire department and the local police.

For homes where small children, disabled, or elderly persons reside, fire alarm systems are especially important. Special features that allow you to alert the fire department of residents who will need special help escaping in the event of a fire, and should therefore be rescued first, are included in many fire alarm systems.

Fire alarm systems are especially important for homes where small children, elderly or disabled persons live, as they will most likely need assistance escaping in the event of a fire. Many monitoring systems have special features that allow you to alert the fire department that there are residents who will need special help, and should be rescued first.

The cost of installing a home fire alarm system will vary based on the square footage of your house, the different components of your desired system, and local codes for the area in which you reside. It is generally less expensive to install a fire alarm system in a home that is being built than to add one to an existing home. However, there are many options, such as leasing fire alarm equipment and making payments over a period of time, that make it easier to fit this preventative system into your budget. For fire alarm systems that offer 24-hour a day monitoring of your home, a monthly fee plus the cost of installation is required.

Don’t let a fire destroy your home- install a home fire alarm system and rest easy knowing that your life and the life of your loved ones is in good hands.

Working in a home alarms manufacturing business for thirty years Christopher Williams is seen as an expert in fire safety and home security. If you are looking for fire alarm systems please visit http://www.adt.co.uk.