What is the difference between photoelectric and ionization smoke detector

Get your ID cards. Get the protection you need and the peace of mind you deserve with Allstate insurance. Get a quote Find an agent. There are a couple of ways to get this done. With a little preparation, your smoke alarms can be ready to alert you of a home fire.

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Connect With Us. Update Below. ZIP Code. City, State Set Your Location. Smoke alarms are critical in protecting households from fires. Smoke Alarms for the Hearing Impaired Smoke alarms save lives.

However, people who suffer from hearing…. Other combinations add additional sensors, such as infrared, carbon monoxide, and heat sensors, to help accurately detect a real fire and decrease false alarms due to things like smoke from a toaster, steam from a shower, etc. The findings from these studies and tests generally reveal the following: Photoelectric smoke alarms respond much faster 15 to 50 minutes faster to smoldering fires — fires which move more slowly but produce the most smoke, the element of residential fires most responsible for fatalities — than ionization alarms.

Ionization smoke alarms generally perform slightly faster seconds to fast flame fires — fires with flames which spread quickly — than photoelectric alarms. The NFPA acknowledges that a well-designed photoelectric alarm will usually outperform ionization alarms in all fire situations, regardless of type and material. During smoldering fires, ionization alarms failed to give sufficient egress time more frequently than photoelectric alarms failed to do so.

During fast-flame fires, ionization alarms failed to provide sufficient egress time more frequently than photoelectric alarms failed to do so. The NFPA acknowledges the significant superiority of photoelectric smoke alarms over ionization alarms with regards to false alarm susceptibility. Which Smoke Alarm is Best?

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