Smoke detectors: ion vs optical

[boustany]

I think that these things are certified by UL/CSA, and somebody else, so for what matters it probably doesn't matter who you buy them from.

'Round here, you are supposed to hardwire and gang all detectors in bedrooms (and maybe the kitchen) in new construction. I have that plus a couple with battery back up.

The idiots who build my AC detectors have a green pilot light that is on 24/7. Sadly, wee bugs are attracted to green lights, so I was getting a lot of false alarms, which scares the stink outta yah. I disassembled every alarm and put electrical tape on the pilot lights and the problem was solved.

Why they didn't go with a red LED or a flasher, I'll never know.

Be warned: don't buy a smoke alarm with a green pilot light.

 

[NY_Yankees_Fan]

quote] Have you seen many concrete & steel structures burn to the ground? )</font>

YES a week does not go buy that I do NOT see one. Now how many empty concrete and steel structure burn to the ground, not many. The problem is most people who build a building plan on putting combustible things inside of the building. Those combustible things are what burns and destroys the building. Look at your typical large box store. It has a metal roof ( unless it is in Ca. and it is a wood roof) and concrete block walls. BUT all those combustible items inside of the building, that is what burns.

So unless you sleep and sit on concrete blocks I would guess you have a combustible load inside of your house that would burn and destroy your home or do serious damage. That is where the automatic sprinkler system is an advantage. They will control and extinguish the fire before it gets very large. If I was building a new home I would install a sprinkler system. In some states you have no choice but to put them in. The track record on home fire sprinklers has been EXCELLENT, no one has died in a building with a home fire sprinkler system installed. You can not say that about homes with only smoke alarms.

Here is a web site with a lot of info on home fire sprinklers

web page

web page

If you live in the US and your town/state has adopted NFPA 5000 or 101, see below.

NFPA Technical Committee on Residential Occupancies
JAN 5/2005: The NFPA Technical Committee on Residential Occupancies has completed its work in preparing the next editions of NFPA 101 and NFPA 5000. In both documents, the committee decided to require fire sprinkler systems in all new one- and two-family dwellings.