Smoke alarms

Smoke Alarms

At Coastal Fire Solutions, we are committed to providing comprehensive smoke alarm services, from installation and maintenance to upgrades, ensuring your compliance with AS 3786 and keeping your property safe.

The Importance of Smoke AlarmsSmoke alarms are critical in saving lives and protecting homes. Statistics show that a significant number of home fire fatalities occur in properties without working smoke alarms or with missing batteries. With advancements in smoke alarm technology, choosing high-quality alarms can minimize false alarms and improve safety. Our suppliers offer mains-powered smoke alarms with a battery backup of up to 10 years, providing reliable protection and reducing the need for frequent maintenance.

Types of Smoke AlarmsUnderstanding the different types of smoke alarms can help you select the best options for your home or business:

• Photoelectric Alarms: Known for their reliability in detecting smouldering fires, photoelectric alarms are recommended by experts for their quick response to larger smoke particles typical of low-temperature fires. They’re the preferred choice for residential settings, reducing false alarms and offering enhanced safety.
• Ionisation Alarms: These alarms detect smaller smoke particles and are often triggered by flaming fires. However, they are more prone to false alarms from cooking or steam, making them less ideal for general use.
• Multi-Criteria Alarms: These advanced alarms combine photoelectric, thermal, and infrared sensors, making them suitable for areas where occasional smoke or high temperatures are expected without frequent false alarms.
• Dual-Sensor Alarms: A mix of photoelectric and ionisation sensors, providing broad coverage for different fire types but may still have some false alarm potential from ionisation.
• Carbon Monoxide Alarms: Although not a smoke alarm, these detectors alert occupants to dangerous levels of carbon monoxide and can be used as an additional safety measure.
• Hearing-Impaired Alarms: Featuring high-intensity strobe lights or vibrating pads, these alarms ensure those with hearing impairments are alerted in emergencies.
• Wireless Interconnected Alarms: These alarms communicate wirelessly across your home, triggering all alarms if one detects smoke, ensuring that alerts are heard in every part of the property.

Smoke Alarms vs. Smoke Detectors While often used interchangeably, smoke alarms and smoke detectors serve different functions:

• Smoke Alarms are standalone units that detect smoke and emit a loud alert to notify occupants. These are common in residential settings and can be powered by batteries or hardwired into the home.
• Smoke Detectors are typically used in larger or commercial spaces as part of a networked fire alarm system. They detect smoke and send a signal to a control panel, which then triggers an alert throughout the building.

Choosing the Best Smoke Alarm For most homes, photoelectric smoke alarms are the top choice due to their effectiveness in detecting smouldering fires, which are common in household incidents. For comprehensive safety, consider installing interconnected smoke alarms so that if one alarm goes off, they all sound, providing full coverage.

What to Look for in a Smoke Alarm When selecting a smoke alarm, look for units that:

• Meet AS 3786 compliance standards.
• Offer photoelectric technology for reliable detection.
• Include features like long-life batteries, hush buttons, and voice alerts for ease of use and reduced false alarms.
• Are interconnected for simultaneous alerting throughout your home.

Keeping Your Smoke Alarms Ready Maintaining smoke alarms is essential to their effectiveness. Test alarms monthly and replace batteries at least once a year. For hardwired units, consider a 10-year battery backup option to minimize maintenance.

Let Coastal Fire Solutions help you choose, install, and maintain smoke alarms to ensure your property meets all safety requirements and provides reliable protection for you and your loved ones especially the furry ones!