Are Smoke Detectors Enough?
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, every year in the United States, approximately 3,000 people die due to residential fires. In about two-thirds of deaths in home fires, there are no smoke detectors in the home, or the ones they have don’t work. The bottom line is – be sure you have working smoke detectors in your home!
But what about the areas of the house where you cannot have smoke detectors? Kitchens may have smoke from cooking and cause a false alarm! Attics and garages are not climate controlled and have dust, humidity or fumes. These may trigger a sensitive smoke detector. But since on average there are 6,600 fires in residential garages a year (US Fire Administration), it seems like the garage especially needs some form of detection.
Bring on the Heat (Detector)
While smoke detectors are an essential part of any fire system, it is always good to supplement with heat detectors as well. There are two types of heat detectors. The first is a fixed temperature heat detector. With this type, the device will go off when the temperature in the room hits a certain preset temperature. The second type is a rate of rise detector. These trigger an alarm when the temperature jumps by a defined number of degrees in a set amount of time. While a heat detector cannot do the job of a smoke detector, it is very helpful in providing early warning in areas where smoke detectors cannot be used.
Consider adding heat detectors in the following areas of your home:
- kitchen
- over the fireplace
- attic
- laundry room
- over the water heater
- garage
So Now I’m Good?
Now that you have your smoke detectors and heat detectors, what else do you need to know? Check out this article about keeping them clean and tested to be sure they work when you need them most! Don’t forget to have the devices added to your alarm system so that you will be alerted but also the fire department will be notified of a fire at your house right away.
And consider adding a carbon monoxide (CO) detector or two. For a two-story house, one upstairs and one downstairs is a good idea so you will be notified if this silent killer is present in your home. Since CO has no smell, taste or color, there is no other way to detect if there is a high quantity in your home, which can be deadly. You can have these added to your alarm system as well or use a battery powered one that makes an audible sound if it detects the CO at unsafe levels.
Let us Help!
At Cultris Security Systems, we can assess what you have in place at your house and help with any additions or upgrades you may need. Fire alarm monitoring is included in the intrusion alarm pricing for residential customers at no extra cost. Call us at 281-506-8466 or visit us online.
