Why should you consider adding smoke and heat detectors and/or carbon monoxide detectors to an alarm system?
The main reason is simple: What happens if a fire starts when no one is home?
60% of fires occur when the property is empty, meaning that the smoke detector is only effective if people are actually at home or at work. This implies that smoke detectors are only effective 40% of the time. That does not stop the fire from actually taking hold as there is no one there to hear it and take appropriate action.
40% of businesses that are destroyed by fire never reopen. The issue is not always about saving lives but saving someone's home or business too. How can we make the smoke detector 100% effective regardless of whether a building is empty of full of people?
When a smoke detector alarm sounds from inside a building and someone is present they can hear its piercing tones. A passer-by walking past your property while no one is there will probably not hear the smoke alarm through the closed windows. If a fire starts while you are out, it is likely to be too late. A security alarm system distinctly recognizes all of the alarm sounds, whether it's the burglar, smoke detector or carbon monoxide alarm.
If smoke detector alarms are monitored like many burglar alarm systems today, it would mean the device is 100% effective rather than 40%.
Many people are not aware that their alarm system can be monitored for other things than security. Easily the most important non-security devices are heat and smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.
The smoke detectors that are installed in your home by a builder or an electrician can't be tied into your security system. The device that is installed is either electrical, battery operated, or in some instances both, if you have the better quality detectors.
When you add smoke and heat detectors to your security system, most of these devices are photoelectric smoke detectors . The detector basically takes a snapshot of the density of smoke that enters its chamber, and wants to see a density increase as it samples every few milliseconds. This technology makes the detector much more discriminating then its inexpensive counterparts.
The primary advantage of a home fire alarm system is increased reliability and the ability to place alarms and sirens exactly where needed. However, the reason most people have them is that they wanted a burglar alarm system and the cost of adding fire alarm features to a residential burglary system is relatively small.
Another advantage is that they can be monitored by a remote monitoring company. This becomes important in cases where family members may not be capable of escaping from a fire without assistance. For example, if you have an older or physically impaired person in your home and a fire started when no one was home to assist that person, alarms alone might not be enough to assure their safety.
Another benefit is that you will never have to replace batteries in smoke detectors again! This is because fire devices on an alarm system get their power from your electrical system, and in the event of power failure, are powered by the alarm's back up battery
There are many advantages to adding fire devices to your security system. Some of them are:
- Your detector is on all the time, even if your alarm is disarmed.
- The devices work off the power from your alarm system and use its backup power supplies should power fail.
- The siren will emit a tone that is audibly different then a burglary siren.
- If your system is monitored, your dispatch is being made without you having to call for help yourself. This gives you more time to gather your loved ones and pets for immediate exit.
- If the system is monitored, a dispatch will take place even if you are not home. Typically flames will be coming through your roof, by the time your neighbors see them, and call for help. This early response may save your pets and a good portion of your home. (NOTE: Some municipalities will not dispatch their limited resources to an automatic fire alarm, unless it is designed completely to any existing local code.)
- Insurance companies often give an additional discount off your homeowners insurance, for having a fire system. If this applies to you, these devices could effectively pay for themselves after a few years.
Since July 1, 2009, Colorado law requires that all homes sold have a Carbon Monoxide (CO) detector within 10 feet of every sleeping area.
CO prevents the human body from effectively delivering oxygen to the heart, brain and other vital organs. Elevated levels of CO in the air can cause immediate physiological effects, eventually leading to unconsciousness or even death.
The Benefits of a Monitored CO Detector
CO detectors monitored by a central station provide peace of mind by including an extra level of protection for situations when:
- The residence is empty
- Residents are sleeping
- Pets, children and elderly are alone
- Residents are already suffering the effects from CO exposure (drowsiness, unconsciousness, etc.)
- A problem arises with the detector
If CO concentration hits dangerous levels, the central station will have the ability to alert the end user if the detector:
- Is in alarm
- Has been tampered with
- Is experiencing mechanical trouble
- Is in end-of-life
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