Good to know
We have gathered useful information such as guidelines, pictures, videos to share information with you. Learn the difference between a smoke and heat detectors. We inform about the characteristics of different types of sensors and how you maintain them. Let us know if you miss anything. We are eager to improve.
Optical smoke alarms
Optical smoke alarms do not contain any radioactive material. Instead it usese a sophisticated photocell system where visible smoke particles are reflected in an infrared light. This system is considered to be the most effective when it comes to detecting smoldering fires. Fires, that can glow for hours before they evolve into fires with an open flame. Examples of this type of fire can be a cigarette lying in the furniture, incipient fires in the textiles, plastic or if an electrical cable gets overheated. Please do keep in mind that steam from a shower, dishwasher or boiling water may also trigger an optical smoke alarm. In this kind of environment we suggest to use a heat alarm instead.
Heat detectors
Heat detectors are a complement to optical smoke alarms and can sometimes be needed where it naturally occurs large amounts of dust particles, for example in garages, garrets, laundry rooms or basements. These detectors are also good for kitchens where sometimes steam occurs. An optical smoke alarm could trigger a false alarm by the steam. Heat detectors only react on change in ambient temperature and not combustion particles. Therefore the use is very limited and they should only be used as a compliment.
Ionizing smoke detectors
Ionizing smoke detectors measures the electrical resistance in the air and can therefore react on both visible and invisible smoke. Ionizing smoke detectors are considered the best option when it comes to detect quickly starting fires or explosion fires with full combustion. A fire with an open flame and abundant oxygen supply. This type of fire tends to spread rapidly and produces large amounts of invisible combustion particles. Example of this type of fire can be a fire in a bin, TV or grease fire in the kitchen. Nowadays ionizing fire detectors are no longer distributed due to the environmental impact the radioactive material have during the recycling process.
Hush function
If the optical smoke detectors are placed too close to the kitchen or a shower an unwanted alarm might appear, due to cooking fumes or steam. Some detectors are equipped with a hush function to lower the sensitivity during a pre-set amount of time. If you press the pause or test button very quickly on these models, the sensitivity will be reduced for 10-15 minutes. When the hush time is out the smoke detector will automatically go back to normal sensitivity. This is an important safety feature in order to stop the smoke alarm from being removed from the ceiling when unwanted alarms occur causing irritation. Please read your product’s manual.
Interconnecting
For larges residences we can offer interconnecting smoke detectors. If one detector alarms, all interconnecting detectors will alarm. This can be a good solution for larger buildings or spaces, such as between different floor plans or from garage to a main building. You may connect different types of sensors in a group, such as a combination of smoke, heat, gas & water. The interconnection is via radio, but can also be done by cable for certain models.
Power supply
Studies show that most fires and accidents happen where no smoke detectors are present or when the smoke detector is missing functioning batteries. Therefore we offer our customers multiple ways of power supply:
– Battery power, with different life expectancies. Most common is 9 volt battery and depending on battery type the life time can be 1, 3, 5 or 10 years. We can also provide smoke detectors with built-in lithium battery where the alarm is designed for a battery life of 10 years and when it is time to swap, the alarm should be recycled according to the local recycling procedures. More common today is 1,5 volt batteries in a group of 2 or 3.
– External power supply 12 volt DC from existing intrusion, maintenance, security or fire panel.
– 230 Volt power supply with built-in backup power with 3 volt built-in lithium battery or normal 9 volt replaceable battery.
Batteries
In order for a smoke alarm to work and to be able to sound an alarm with sufficiently loud alarm signal for a long enough time (even when the battery starts to run down). It is of course very important that the battery is intended and tested for the proper use of a smoke alarm. This type of test is therefore always included in the test program when a smoke alarm is type approved for sale. This also means that the battery cannot be exchanged to a battery type that not been tested. An approved battery type is one of the following: ordinary manganese dioxide batteries with expected lifespan of 1-1,5 year, alkaline batteries with expected lifespan of 2-3 years and lithium batteries with expected lifespan of 8-10 years. When the voltage in the battery drops the smoke alarm will indicate that it is time to swap battery. This usually happens when the temperature in the residence drops, namely in the middle of the night. We therefore always recommend smoke detectors with both internal and external power supply or with the longest possible battery life expectancy. Make sure to chose a smoke detector that allows you to sleep safely. If the battery runs out during the night, a good feature can be to hush the reminder of time to change batteries the following day and keep on sleeping. Our battery powered smoke detectors with replaceable 9 volt batteries are all equipped with “snap-on” battery terminals.
Increased safety
We have some different systems to indicate that the battery is missing, alternatively prevent (obstruct) mounting the unit if the battery is missing in the smoke alarm. Another security feature in our smoke detectors, is the color of the mounting bracket. It can be black, yellow chrome or white with a red information label – anything but white. This is to indicate that something is missing from the ceiling if the smoke detector is not in its place.
Mounting
All our smoke detectors come with practical and easy to install mounting brackets and can either be mounted with screws or double-sided tape from 3M. Mounting brackets are available in different models and together with large housing companies we have developed models with locking features. This means that the tenant cannot easily remove the smoke alarm or battery from the ceiling.
Where to place the smoke alarms?
There are some simple guidelines to follow:
– One smoke detector in the hallway outside the bedroom, preferably with hush function.
– At least one smoke detector per floor level, ie above every staircase and preferably interconnected.
– Preferably one smoke detector in every bedroom.
– Max 60 m² per smoke detector and no more than 12 meter between two smoke detectors.
The smoke detector should preferably be mounted in the middle of the ceiling outside the bedroom, in the staircase and always at the highest possible point. If the bedrooms are in separate parts of the residence you should mount several smoke detectors. In houses with multiple levels you should have at least one smoke detector on every floor level. Multiple smoke detectors provides increased safety. If you charge electronics in the bedroom, you should have a smoke alarm in each bedroom.
Make sure that the smoke detectors are loud and clear in every bedroom and test with the door closed as well. The distance between the smoke detectors in a residence should not be larger than 10-12 meter apart. Each smoke detector should not cover more than a surface of 60m². Try to avoid placement in the kitchen or in the garage where frying vapor or car exhaust can trigger the alarm. Do not mount smoke detectors in damp places or nearby fans, lamps or air intakes. Do not paint your smoke detector.
Safety
All our smoke detectors are equipped with a test button and a red LED indicating that the smoke alarm is working as intended. The test button will test all the features in the smoke alarm.
Every smoke alarm can best tested individually by a short press on the test button. The smoke detector siren shall then sound and all features (except possible radio connection) will be checked. Please test the smoke detector at least once a month or if possible every week, eg. combined with cleaning. Always try it immediately after vacation or any longer absence. The smoke detectors could have been alarming for low battery but silenced while you were gone. This can create a false sense of safety. The smoke alarm detects as long as the test button is pressed or as long as its smoke inside the smoke alarm.
If you want to try interconnected detectors, follow the recommended test procedure which can be found in attached product manual.
Care
If the smoke detectors do not alarm, check that the battery is properly connected or change the battery if it is not working. The smoke detectors should be vacuum cleaned regularly with a soft brush and wiped off with a damp cloth. Always clean the detector when changing batteries. Clean it regularly in order to maintain the life expectancy of the product.
WARNING:
Do not test the smoke alarm with an open flame. This can damage the smoke alarm and cause immediate danger to the surroundings. We do not recommend testing with smoke as this can be misleading. The test button will test all necessary features in the smoke detector.
Tutorial movies
A working fire alarm can save lives!
There are a few simple things you can do to make sure your smoke alarm is working properly. Vaccum cleaning and wiping of dust and dirt with a cloth at regular intervals are of vital importance.
Short clicks at repeated intervals are often a sign of technical error. You should not confound it with a false alarm. The most common is a click every minute which usually indicates low battery or battery failure. Read more about fire safety in general at MSB’s site.