What Is A Photoelectric Smoke Detector?

A device that will sense smoke can be termed a smoke detector. It also acts as an indicator of fire. Many households have smoke detectors or smoke alarms for safety purposes. Smoke detectors are generally in plastic enclosures.

The detectors are shaped in a disk or a square about 6 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. Smoke detectors are generally used in residential buildings/societies. smoke detectors are of many types.

large commercial buildings use a photoelectronic smoke detector. The building power gives power to the central fire alarm system. 

Photoelectronic Smoke Detector

When the smoke is detected optically, it uses a Photoelectric smoke detector. A photoelectric alarm is not very common for people.

But, it is a smarter and quicker option to detect smoldering fires. It is a smoke alarm that has light and sensitive sensors in it. 

There is a chamber for light inside the alarm. The LED light inside the chamber shoots a beam of light. The beam of light is in a straight line across the chamber.

Somehow the smoke can enter the chamber. If the smoke does enter, it will come in the path of the straight line of the light.

It can also be deflected. So, due to the deflection of the smoke, the LED light may change its path. It may enter in the same chamber but through a photosensor.

But, the compartment might be different. So, the alarm will start making a sound when the LED light beam hits the photosensor. 

Is This Detector Better?

Yes, using a photoelectronic smoke detector is better because it ensures your safety. It also ensures your family’s safety, as electronic photo alarms have the power to detect smoldering fires. Thus, choosing it for the family’s safety is better. But, it only detects smoldering fires and not flaming fires. 

Hence, choosing only one technique is not correct. You must choose an alarm that detects both flaming and smoldering fire. The combination alarms are the best solution. Thus, you must have both types of alarms inside your entire house. 

What are the 3 major types?

There are 2 main fire alarm techniques used that are strong in their area. If you are choosing any one of them for performing all the duties, it can be dangerous.

There can be smoldering fire, or large flames can come out in any event of a fire outbreak. It can happen at any time, day or night.

One can’t decide the time or the type of fire. Thus, whatever technology you use for your smoke detector must be excellent. It should be able to predict both types of fire accurately.

So, it can make you aware of the fire early, and you can save your life even when you are asleep or awake. The main 3 smoke alarm techniques are :

1. Photoelectric Smoke Detector:

It is a smarter and quicker way to detect smoldering fires. When the smoke is detected optically, it uses a photoelectric smoke detector. It ensures your and your home’s safety. But it only detects the smoldering fires. It fails to detect the flaming fires. The photoelectronic alarm works in the following manner:

It is a smoke alarm that has light and sensitive sensors in it. There is a chamber for light inside the alarm. The LED light inside the chamber shoots the beam straight across the chamber.

If somehow smoke enters the chamber, it would come in the path of the straight line of the light and deflect it. Sometimes the path of the LED light is changed due to the deflection of the smoke.

So, when the path changes, it enters the same chamber through a photosensor. But, the compartment might be different. So, the alarm will start making a sound when the LED light beam hits the photosensor. 

2. Ionization Smoke Detector:

An ionization smoke detector is a more common alarm for people. It is appropriate for discovering flaming fires or quick-in-motion fires. The air is ionized in the ionization smoke alarm in the internal sensing chamber. It is done by using a tiny bit of radioactive material.

The air which is ionized can act as a good conductor of current. Inside the chamber, the current is passed through 2 fully charged electrodes. It decreases the conductivity of the air inside if the smoke particles enter the chamber. It is also ionized. The alarm sounds when this decrease in conductivity goes below the set parameters. 

3. Dual Smoke Detector:

You must use both smoke alarm technologies for complete safety at your home. The best technique is to use the combination of photoelectronic and ionization. Recent tests have shown that ionization is proving unreliable in certain slow fires.

Ionization performs best in flaming fires. Rather than using a single alarm technique, you can use combination alarms. Individually neither the photoelectric system nor ionization is that powerful.

The combination alarm uses both technologies in the same device. It helps to detect and prevent both smoldering fire and flaming fire.

They work fine for people with hearing aids, so get a photoelectric smoke detector for hearing-impaired people.

What type of smoke detector is the best for bedrooms?

If you want the best smoke detector for the bedroom, it is an ionization smoke alarm. We must say for bedrooms, the ionization alarms are the best.

It quickly discovers the flaming fire inside your room and alerts you. The electric smoke detector is ideally used in living areas and hallways. But, for the bedrooms, ionization detectors are the best option. So you can get a good ionizing smoke detector for your bedroom.

Final Talk

Always remember that the smoke alarms will save your life, loved ones, and even your property. The top priority of everyone must be safety and security. In every household or commercial building, it is advisable to use a smoke alarm. This will help prevent people from any unwanted accidents during a fire outbreak. All smoke alarms have a lifespan of almost 10 years. Even if you are maintaining your device appropriately and it is also working, you must change it. The life of the detector also depends upon the manufacturer’s instructions. Take a few minutes and check the detectors regularly.