Smoke and CO Detectors
Virginia state law requires smoke alarms to be placed in every sleeping area, in every room in the path of the means of egress from sleeping areas and on every story including basements. The electricians at Bradley Mechanical can help keep your family safe by connecting and hardwiring alarms with battery backups. This provides constant monitoring of smoke and carbon monoxide even if there is a power failure.
Smoke alarms are a crucial piece of early detection equipment that can warn you and your family in the event of a fire. When a fire occurs, smoke and toxic gasses tend to spread faster than the heat. This is one reason why most victims of house fires die from smoke and gas inhalation. Every year in the United States, approximately 2,000 deaths occur from house fires with two-thirds of them happening in homes without working smoke alarms.
There are two different types of smoke alarms based on their sensors—photoelectric and ionization. Each type of smoke alarm may work differently depending on the type of fire. Some smoke alarms may even include multiple sensors like heat or carbon monoxide detectors. Photoelectric detectors rely on a light beam and light receptor to detect smoke particles. When smoke particles pass between the light and receptor, the reduction of light on the sensor triggers the alarm. Ionization detectors contain two plates that generate a continuous current of electricity. When smoke particles enter the ionization chamber and disrupt the current, the alarm is triggered. Combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms use sensing technologies that work together to detect both fires and the silent killer know as CO.
If you need to install new smoke and CO detectors or are having issues with your current ones, give Bradley Mechanical a call today at (804) 748-6728. Our electricians can give you peace of mind knowing they are installed properly to warn you in the event of an emergency.
