Choosing a smoke alarm is based on the design of your job site, and that is most likely to determine which smoke alarm you should buy.
However, it’s crucial to install, test, and maintain the smoke alarm or detector properly, regardless of the model you choose. For the service you need, you can hire us at the Electricians Service Team to perform the smoke detector services you need.
We shall learn everything there is to know about the many types of smoke detectors in the blog that follows.
Here Are the Different Smoke Detector Types
The primary purpose of a smoke detector is to alert users of fire by sending out an alarm signal, but when selecting one for use, we must take into account the detector’s detection characteristics and the different types of smoke detectors.
- Photoelectric Smoke Detector
Light scattering is the basis for how photoelectric smoke alarms operate. A photosensor and a light-emitting LED are located inside the detector’s chamber. The “normal” state of the detector is when the light emitted by the LED falls on a portion of the camera where it cannot be caught by the photosensor.
Smoke that enters the detector chamber as a result of a fire obstructs the area where the LED’s light is projected when it emits light. As a result, the light from the aforementioned emitter is scattered and reflected in the direction of the photosensor, which, when it receives the light, produces the alarm condition.
- Ionization Smoke Detector
Ionization smoke detectors react rapidly to fires with rapid flame spread. Particles that are too tiny to affect light are picked up by them. They function because they are responsive to airborne particles, atmospheric pressure, and humidity. They are less expensive than photoelectric models and respond fast to the presence of smoke.
Ionized particles are used by ionization smoke alarms to detect the presence of smoke. It contains a tiny amount of radioactive material that is held between two plates that are electrically charged.
- Heat Smoke Detector
In the case of a fire, heat and smoke detectors immediately alert the control panel, ensuring that the retention system is turned on in time.
Based on the increase in smoke, the smoke detector efficiently and accurately identifies a potential fire. Heat detectors may also be utilized in some circumstances; when they detect a sudden rise in temperature or when the surrounding air temperature reaches a certain level, they activate.
However, it is possible to mix up the two of these different smoke alarms. As a result, you may give your family the safest atmosphere imaginable.
It’s difficult to choose which of them are the best, but whenever you need assistance from skilled professionals, the Electricians Service Team is always ready to assist you.
How Is a Smoke Detector System Wired?
Every home must have smoke detectors according to residential construction rules. These alarms are necessary to protect your family and property since fires can start silently and go unnoticed until it is too late.
Smoke detectors must maintain a steady electrical charge in order to function, whether that charge comes from a battery or from being hooked into the house’s electrical system.
Keep reading to learn how professionals at the Electricians Service Team install hardwired smoke detectors.
- Turn Off the Power
The electrician will determine which existing circuit the smoke detectors will be wired into and turn off the power supply to that circuit. Safety first!
- Cut the Holes
The ceiling joist or wall stud where the smoke detector will be installed will be found by the electrician using a stud finder. The hole is accurately made in between the wall studs using the electrical box as a template to trace around. The box’s outline is guaranteed to be level by using a level.
The electrician will then cut around the template shape after drilling a pilot hole in the center of the electrical box’s outline. Ideally, the electrical box will fit snugly but not too tightly. Your electrician will go through this step again for each smoke detector if there are multiple detectors to be wired.
- Run the Wire
From the power source, the electrician will run the wire (with the ground) to the location of the smoke detector. The power source can include an existing wall outlet, wall switch, or circuit breaker panel. A good amount of excess cable will be left extending through the hole in the drywall. This ultimately makes installation easier, and your electrician will trim the wire to the proper length when installing a hardwired smoke detector.
If multiple smoke detectors are being installed, your electrician will run a 3-wire cable (with the ground) from the first smoke detector to each subsequent smoke detector. The extra wire allows the smoke detectors to communicate with one another so that if one smoke detector detects smoke, all detectors will go off.
- Attach the Wires to the Electrical Boxes
The existing circuit that the smoke detectors will be plugged into will be identified by the electrician, who will also turn off the power supply to that circuit. Security first!
- Secure the Electrical Boxes
It’s time to fasten the electrical box in the drywall opening after the cables have been fastened to each box.
The electrician must connect the circuit wires through the mounting plate of each smoke detector and line up the screw holes on the mounting plate with the holes in the electrical box. The electrician will fasten the smoke detector in place using the screws that came with it.
- Wire the Smoke Detector
The alarm and the harness are the two components of the smoke detector (with wires coming out of it that plug into the alarm after the wires have been connected). Your electrician will connect the nearest electrical box’s black, white, and red wires to the wiring harness.
- Put It All Together
The mounting plate will be screwed to the electrical box after the smoke detectors have been wired. The wire harness is then attached to the back of the smoke alarm. With a fast twist, the unit is ready to use because the notches on the back of the alarm match those on the base.
- Connect to the Circuit
The smoke detector cable will then be connected to the circuit, and the electrician will then pigtail the wires into the circuit. Once the cables are connected, it is time to turn on the circuit again and set up your new hardwired smoke alarms.
For this job to be done accurately, you need to hire an experienced and skilled electrician.
You can check out our other blog articles for more information about smoke detector installation services and what’s best for your home. Contact us today whenever you also need fast and professional services.
