Every year
fire fighters put out thousand of fires, they are able to save property and
even lives. However, not everyone is lucky enough to make it out of these
fires. No one wants to be faced with a situation where they have to fight their
way out of a fire. Which is why a warning minutes before the fire gets big is
very important. That is why every residential house in Australia has to be
fitted with a smoke alarm. These alarms can help save many lives that could
have otherwise been lost in a fire. However, if the smoke alarm proves to be
faulty, it could greatly reduce your chances of surviving the fire.
Smoke alarm Legislation
Smoke alarms
are a legal requirement in residential houses in Australia. They should be
mains-powered with at least one on each level. However, laws vary depending on
the state that is why you need to check with your state government for more
details concerning the regulations.
Any house
that was built after 2007 is legally required to have a mains-powered smoke
alarm. The same case applies to houses bought or sold after 1st
October 2009. This kind of installation requires the services of a licensed and
honest electrician Sydney. After
every ten years, the smoke alarms have to be replaced.
The
ActivFire registration ensures that all alarms comply with the set Australian
Standard for smoke alarms, AS 3786.
Is your house safe?
The first
instinct when planning to install smoke alarms in your house is to hire a
licensed and honest electrician Sydney
to do the job. However, it is good that you confirm some of the following
issues:
I.
Confirm
if the smoke alarm is battery powered or mains powered, simply by checking the
presence of a green light on the alarm to show that it is connected directly to
the 240 mains power.
II.
Confirm
if the smoke alarm is installed in the right location
III.
Lastly,
consider smoke alarms as more of a necessity than a requirement, this way you
will take good care of it.
Types of smoke detectors
In
Australia, the two major types of smoke detectors are Ionisation and
Photoelectric. The main difference is their respective ways of detecting smoke.
The ionisation alarm detects fire using “smell” once the flame ignites. It is
the most common smoke detector in Australia. On the other hand, Photoelectric
smoke detectors detect smoldering fires or slow burning using “sight”, which
means that they are fast acting thus giving you plenty of time to escape. It is
the recommended smoke detector; however, they are more expensive than the
former.
Other smoke
detectors include:
I.
Carbon
monoxide
II.
Alarms
for the deaf and hearing impaired
III.
Special
models for relocatable homes and kitchens
IV.
Heat
alarms
Dual sensors:
these are alarms that combine both photoelectric and ionization sensors. They
provide additional which ensures that you are protected from slow smoldering
fires as well as fast flaming. However, do not install these dual sensors in
kitchens or other areas where they could be susceptible to nuisance alarms.
Installation & location of smoke
alarms
Once you
decide which alarm to install, you need to figure out issues such as how many
of these alarms do you require and where will you install them. For example, if
your house has two adjacent bedrooms then you only need a single alarm to serve
the two bedrooms. For a multi-storey building, you will be required to have
hard-wired smoke alarms on each floor. Buildings with concrete ceilings can use
10-year lithium smoke alarms. It is advisable to have many smoke alarms fitted
in your house as this increases your chances of survival in case of a fire. New
homeowners should have their homes fitted with interconnected alarms, this way
if one detects smoke all the others sing to the tune.
Maintaining smoke alarms
1. Regularly test your smoke detector at
least once a month by using the test button.
2. Replace your batteries annually.
3. Vacuum the smoke alarm every year to
remove dust build-up.
4. Replace the whole system after a
decade of use.
Common issues
·
Nuisance
tripping: ensure that you ventilate your kitchen sufficiently when cooking to
ensure that it does not trigger the smoke alarm. Also, do not install any smoke
alarms near laundry, bathroom or temperature control devices such as heaters
and fans.
·
Smoke
alarms beeping: start by changing the battery. If the beeping persists, it will
need to replaced and this can only be conducted by a licensed Electrician.
Conclusion
Fire is one
of the many scenarios that we humans wouldn’t to face but it does happen. If it
does, your precaution measures will dictate whether you get out of the building
alive or not. This why it is vital to install smoke detectors that will signal
you in case a fire erupts in your house or at your place of work. This way you
get the chance to get out of the building or put out the fire while it is still
manageable.
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