Your Smoke Detector. Are You Certain It Really Works. Or Has It Been Fooling You

A long time ago, before the invention of the smoke detector by Swiss scientists back in the 1940 era, the best protection from smoke or fire was either a cat or dog. These friends of ours are very sensitive to smoke and will either bark or meow loudly while running back and forth in the home. Some didn’t with dire consequences.

There are two types of smoke detectors in use today. One is an optical detector that detects large particles of debris from a slowly burning or smoldering fire. The second type is the ionization detector which detects minute particles form fast burning blazes.

Either type may be powered by battery or electric current. It is a good idea to have both set up in your home and you should have at least one installed on each level of your home. Better yet, place one in every room. They are inexpensive sentinels that can save you life and those of your family.

Visit your local hardware store and you will be amazed at the variety of detectors offered and on display. The big question is, how do you know which is best. Probably your best source of information on this subject will come form review sites. Take some time to check the reviews before purchasing.

Recently a friend told me about an apartment fire in his building. The fire began when a heavy drapery was installed above an electric baseboard heater. The drape was too long and covered most of the heater. A small capillary switch became confused by the thermostat calling for more heat and the heaters inability to dispense the heat properly. It did this switching on and off rapidly for 14 hours before sparks began when the insulation burned off from the heat. The sparks started a fire on the drape and the rest is history.

Following the fire management checked the rest of the apartments in the building and found that over 30 percent had their batteries disconnected. Further inquiries found that each renter had replaced the battery in his/her unit during the past few months. The question then was, why did the detectors not work when checked?

Everyone had the same story. They had checked their detectors, found the batteries were dead and replaced them. They opened the detector cover, placed the new battery in the space provided, the detector beeped a few times. They closed the covers and went to bed secure in their belief that they were safe. Little did they know they were totally without protection from smoke.

Anyone who has ever placed a 9V battery in any apparatus will have discovered that the batteries do not simply slide into the leads but must be squeezed onto the leads with quite a bit of force otherwise they will not make a good connection.

Through trial and error, management found that because of the confined area within the small detectors a finger could not be inserted to hold the battery lead while trying to push the battery onto the leads. Because of this the battery would touch the leads at first, causing the alarm to sound. The cover was then closed but the connection was still not made.

Management then made the effort to educate all of the residents so that they would be safe in the future. Play it safe. If you are not sure your smoke detector works properly, ask anyone for assistance. Don’t take a chance with your life.

By: Joe Mac Millan

Home Security Burglar Alarms & Is Wireless Better Than Hard Wired?

No one wants to be burgled - it simply is your worse nightmare. Think about it - the invasion of your privacy by some mindless intruder to gain entry into your home, to take your belongings. It creates so much upheaval and heartache that it will affect you for months, years even. Just stop for one minute and check the following… have you got up to date home insurance and have you got an up to date inventory of your belongings? You will need these if you get burgled. However, all this could be prevented by simply improving your home security and installing a home burglar alarm system.

So what choices are there of burglar alarm available today? There are essentially two main types of burglar alarm system and these are wireless and hard wired. Both have their pros and cons.

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Hard wired alarms are usually thought of as a more reliable alarm system. These are the traditional alarm system whereby the sensors that trigger the alarm are connected to the alarm control panel by cables. There is no chance for inference, unlike a wireless system, however there will be considerable disruption during the installation as walls will need to be channelled and shirting and floorboards lifted. It is advised that a professional alarm installation contractor is employed to carry out this work thus increasing the overall cost of installation. It will be a more permanent installation, but cannot be easily taken out without further disruption when, for example you move house.

A wireless alarm system is a home security package that again consists of a control panel and sensors, but are connected wirelessly thus virtually eliminating the need for wiring. A wireless burglar alarm system can be self installed by the keen do-it-yourself’er so will reduce the overall cost of your security system significantly. You can buy a starter kit and simply add to it whenever finances permit. It can also be easily de-installed and took with you if you move house so this is ideal if you are in rented accommodation. Wireless security systems are becoming extremely popular due to their flexibility, ease of installation and cost. Like a hardwired alarm, a variety of sensors can be added to the system such as door/window sensors, PIR movement detection sensors, smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. But the beauty of a wireless system is you don’t need to install them all at the same time, unlike the hardwired system. The only main downside to a wireless system is you will need to change the batteries in the sensors regularly. The reliability has improved considerably over recent years as technology has improved so interference is virtually a thing of the past. Wireless systems are great if you are extending your property as you can simply install additional sensors to the new build very quickly and easily.

An alarm system is a vital home improvement that so many people neglect. If you haven’t yet installed an alarm system then take action - why wait until you get burgled?

By: andyj00