SMOKE DETECTORS: KEEPING US FROM HARM'S WAY

Why Do I Need a Quality Smoke Detector?

Here are a few sobering facts from the National Fire Protection Association:

Approximately 3000 people die each year in house fires in the US alone. About two thirds of these deaths result when no smoke detector is in place, or smoke detectors are not working properly. A further 13000 individuals have been injured in a single year due to house fires.

Very often, disabled smoke detectors have had their batteries removed intentionally, in an effort to prevent nuisance alarms. Inadequate power supply can also be a major reason behind disabled smoke detectors. Operation on batteries alone can result in a dead detector, and no alarm in the crucial moment.

Over the course of 2007 and 2008, surveys were conducted that revealed that 67% of American homes were protected by battery-powered detectors only - and only 12% were aware that the devices should be replaced every ten years.

In house fire situations, only 75% of battery powered alarms functioned properly, while 91% of hard-wired detectors sounded their alarm. Interconnected alarm systems that span floors also increase safety.

US fire departments respond to over 350000 house fire alarms each year. Approximately eight people die in these fires each and every day!

What's the Difference Between Battery and Wired?

A battery will eventually run out. It is also highly vulnerable to becoming loose or otherwise positioned improperly. Even when a battery-powered alarm does sound, it can run out and cease to sound.

Wired smoke detectors can be interconnected across rooms and floors. When fire strikes, the alarm can be sounded across an entire home or apartment building instead of in isolation.

Wired detectors are also equipped with a backup battery power source! In the worst-case scenario, if a home's electric line is compromised, the alarm will still sound.

Many people choose to install a battery-powered smoke detector because of its ease of maintenance. Wired detectors must be disassembled from the wall or ceiling, whereas battery-powered detectors can be snapped or unscrewed from their position and dealt with as a single piece.

Smoke Detectors and Eye Spy Electronics

Better smoke detectors may come at a slightly heftier price, but how can a value be placed upon peace of mind and home security?

At Eye Spy Electronics, we offer a range of Fire-Lite products, from conventional and addressable fire alarm control panels to FireWatch communicators and audio evacuation systems.

And, of course, we do sell and install smoke detectors!

We also offer free quotes on all systems and installations, and offer maintenance support to compliment initial setup. We know our products inside and out, and will be glad to help you identify the products and services best suited to your needs and budget.

When you enlist our dedicated team and purchase our top quality hardware, you know you're in good hands. Contact us today for your free quote. Let's make your home fire safe!

Dan Parrington is a freelance content writer for a variety of small businesses across the web. He operates out of his primary business website, The Parrington Review. You can contact him at dan@parringtonreview.com.

RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS

Varieties of Fire Alarm System

The first type of system is for residential applications where there are two main types of fire detection equipment: smoke detectors and heat detectors. Smoke detectors are more widely used and heat detectors are used in certain environments, such as garages, due to their lack of sensitivity to changes in temperature and dust.

The two types of smoke detectors that Eye Spy Electronics uses are photoelectric and ionization. Photoelectric devices detect smoke particles in the air by bouncing light off of the particles. Less expensive ionic devices work by ionizing the air in the detection chamber and measuring the voltage across the chamber. When smoke enters the chamber, the voltage level drops and is detected.

Typically photoelectric detectors are more responsive to the type of smoke emitted from burning household items. The smoke is actually a little bit darker in home fires. Heat detectors are not typically used as life safety devices for evacuation purposes, but are used more commonly for property protection.

Why Install a Fire Alarm in Your Home?

The biggest reason for having a fire alarm installed is for life safety protection. You want to make sure that, in the event of a fire, your family and can get out of the home with ample time. Fire alarms are also used for property protection.

The time it would take for a neighbor to see smoke coming out of your house is drastically longer than the amount of time it would take for a fire alarm to go off. The fire department can be notified much more quickly if there is a fire alarm installed and we all know that in the

Benefits of an Eye Spy Electronics Fire Alarm System

When you have a fire alarm system installed by Eye Spy Electronics, there are several benefits in addition to smoke detection. Many of us have smoke detectors in our homes already that are typically battery operated. And we’ve probably all had the low battery signal chirping at us from time to time in the middle of the night. Smoke detectors are controlled from our main control panel. The battery resides in the panel and one single battery runs the entire system. Your alarm panel will recognize when the battery is getting low making maintenance much more user-friendly.

Another advantage to St. Louis/Eye Spy Electroncs is that we have alarm monitoring available. Fire alarms work really well beeping and squeaking and getting everybody out of the house, but if you do have a fire and there is no one home to hear the beeping and squeaking, then the fire will burn longer – until a neighbor notices the smoke. If your fire alarm system is monitored by a central station, we gain the ability to respond to an alarm even if no one is home.

Commercial Fire Alarm Systems

The second type of system is for commercial applications. The detection devices that we use are similar to residential equipment; however, there are a few additions. Pull stations are manual action devices usually located by building exits that will trigger the fire alarm. Horn strobes are also used for audible notification of fire alarm. This is biggest difference between a residential and a commercial fire alarm: evacuation and notification. These warnings use horn strobes, sounders and voice-command evacuation depending upon local, state national, or other governing agency requirements.

We install and service two types of commercial systems: required and non-required. Certain buildings being constructed or remodeled are automatically required to have a fire system installed. These required systems have to go through submissions with the fire department to be approved.

Two types of required systems are partial and full. Partial systems allow for only partial coverage in certain areas of the building. For example, you may not be required to place alarms in private offices where individual alarm systems could be installed. Full coverage is just that; every required room usually within a 30-foot space must have a smoke detector. This can lead to needing a very large system very quickly.

Even if a building isn’t required to have a fire alarm installed, most property owners choose to purchase a system that will help protect lives and property and that may even help decrease their insurance costs.

Another advantage to Eye Spy fire alarms is having monitoring available for commercial applications. We can monitor suppression systems, such as sprinkler or chemical fire suppression systems, along with your fire detection system.

Vesda Fire Alarm Systems

Eye Spy Electronics Fire & Security has also deployed VESDA fire alarms. VESDA stands for “Very Early Smoke Detection Apparatus.” Rather than being a reactive system that waits for smoke to reach the detector, this system constantly samples the air by piping it back to the main sensor so it can be processed. VESDA is much more effective for very sensitive applications, such as computer server rooms, theaters or other large spaces.

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