SMOKE DETECTOR – The small device that can save your life or the life of your loved ones.
More interesting information about: wireless smoke detector
In Germany, smoke detectors or fire alarms are all devices that can trigger an alarm in the event of a fire due to smoke development in private apartments as well as in public facilities. Even if the danger of house fires is no longer as acute today as it was a few decades ago: small to very small ignition sources still have the potential to quickly and unnoticed trigger a large fire in your home. Fire is so dangerous and unpredictable precisely because it is all too easy to underestimate the speed and area of its spread. An apartment fire can quickly become so widespread that a standard fire extinguisher is no longer sufficient. This is where smoke detectors come into play.
A smoke detector is not always a smoke detector!
Most smoke detectors are mistakenly lumped together – a big mistake, since the differences between the individual smoke alarm devices are sometimes significant. The best example: smoke alarm devices and fire detectors.
Smoke alarm device
The „application area“ of a smoke alarm device (also called smoke detector) is mainly in the private sector. Smoke alarms are also used in certain areas such as small guesthouses, holiday apartments or commercial areas without fire protection requirements.
Fire alarm device
The „area of application“ of a fire alarm device is primarily used in connection with fire alarm systems in public buildings.
So you see, smoke alarm devices and fire alarm devices are completely different in use!
Why are smoke alarms so important?
Smoke detectors work in a similar way to an early warning system, which means that the protection provided by the smoke detector kicks in as soon as a fire breaks out in your home. Even a small amount of dangerous smoke – for example from a tipped candle – is enough to trigger the alarm signal. The siren of the smoke detector then informs everyone who can hear the acoustic signal in the vicinity. In contrast to a fire alarm system, smoke alarm devices are NOT equipped with an integrated system that also informs the fire brigade after a while. Why are smoke detectors so important
Note: Smoke alarm devices must not be connected to the fire brigade. However, you can connect to a security company or your own private telephone number using an optional telephone dialer (usually only with wireless smoke detectors). Public facilities that accommodate many people and are therefore difficult to evacuate usually have a large-scale fire early warning system. For example, once the alarm has been triggered by a fire detector, many people can be saved here long before dangerous smoke and blazing fire have spread to all areas of the building.
Incidentally, “fire alarms” are special devices such as emergency buttons that can trigger a central fire alarm when pressed. These emergency buttons are then called fire alarms.
Simple but effective: how a smoke alarm
works We would like to explain these to you here in detail and for general understanding:
The individual models of the respective manufacturers certainly differ in the structure of a smoke alarm device – however, the basic functionality is the same for almost all models. In order for the smoke detector to sound the alarm at all, it must of course somehow be able to detect the smoke in the event of a fire. This is done by the so-called smoke chamber, which is also the heart of every optical smoke detector. Due to the cascades attached to the side, room air can penetrate, but insects or other similarly large particles have no chance of accidentally penetrating the smoke alarm device and therefore cannot trigger a false alarm
In order to be able to send out an alarm tone, the optical smoke alarm device also needs a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter is a diode (infrared diode) that sends the light to the receiver (photodiode). The infrared diode (transmitter) sends light signals or a pulse continuously and at regular intervals. However, as long as it is not actually burning, the photodiode does not receive this signal due to its position. This is because the light signals need a reflector – in the case of a fire, these are the smoke particles – in order to be able to transmit the light signal to the receiver. Only when the light is reflected in the manner just mentioned can the receiver forward it to a special processor, which evaluates the signal and triggers an alarm.
How does a heat alarm work and what is it?
You can also find the so-called „heat detector“ in specialist shops under the name „heat detector“. In contrast to a classic smoke detector, which triggers an alarm as soon as the light signals from the transmitter reflect smoke particles and thus reach the receiver, heat detectors only sound the alarm when the room temperature exceeds a certain value. As a rule, this is an excess of approx. 60°C.
Some heat detectors or heat detectors are configured in such a way that they already trigger an alarm if the temperature in a room rises faster than usual within a certain period of time. This method is called thermal differential evaluation. This form of smoke detector is particularly suitable in kitchens or workshops, as the heat detectors (heat detectors) are suitable for smoky and dusty rooms that still have a normal temperature. Heat detectors are primarily used to protect property and are rather unsuitable for protecting people.
How long does a smoke alarm last?
Once you have bought a smoke detector, it is best to keep an eye on the date of purchase or the date of first use. Basically, a smoke detector lasts a long time, but it should be checked regularly. Once you have put a smoke detector into operation, you should ensure that it is properly checked at least once a year.
With a so-called test spray, you can quickly and easily carry out a simple function test of the detector yourself. There are special test devices with long telescopic rods to test smoke alarm devices from difficult or high ceilings without any problems. Your nearest fire protection specialist is also guaranteed to offer a functional test for all smoke detectors you have installed. In federal states with mandatory smoke detectors, a regular function test is even required by law. How long does a smoke detector last
A smoke detector is generally assumed to have a service life of around 10 years. During this period, the smoke chamber usually becomes so clogged with dust that the smoke detector could produce false alarms. As a measure against premature contamination, smoke detectors are equipped with plastic screens similar to a window gage. Manufacturers of higher quality smoke detectors address this problem with features such as dust compensation. This function adapts the triggering threshold of the smoke detector to exposure to dust or other particles.
Another important indicator on every smoke detector is the pilot lamp. The LED shows you the correct function of the smoke detector at regular intervals. For most models, this is approximately every minute. If you want to install the smoke alarm device in the bedroom, for example, a constantly flashing LED can quickly become annoying.
Nevertheless, you should not do without this important control organ. There are smoke detectors with a special “bedroom function” for the bedroom and other rooms where the pilot lamp is not wanted. This dims the LED in a certain preset period of time or carries out the self-test every minute without display.
In general, it is better to invest a few euros more in a high-quality smoke detector from a specialist dealer instead of buying a cheap product from a hardware store – after all, the detectors save life and limb.
Your smoke detector sounds the alarm – now what?
If you decide to secure your house by installing smoke alarm devices, it can make sense after the function test to think about how you can react in the event of an emergency. Of course, even the best fire detector or smoke alarm is useless if there is neither a fire extinguisher nor the appropriate fire blankets in the house. Fire protection is not done with fire detectors and/or smoke detectors alone. A fire extinguisher and fire blankets should be available on at least every floor, in larger houses it is of course best to have several.
Instructions for correct „humane“ behavior in the event of a fire can be found, for example, on a
watch list that hangs in many public buildings and also applies to private households:
Keep calm Report
fire Move to
safety Attempt to
extinguish
If the fire brigade or the police have been contacted on the well-known number 112 or 110, they will probably ask you the following questions, which ideally you can answer:
What happened?
How many are affected or injured?
Where did something happen?
If the smoke alarm goes off, you should immediately check all rooms with detectors for a false alarm – as long as you do not endanger yourself or others. Some smoke alarm devices are very sensitive, especially on ceiling surfaces, smoke can quickly and unnoticed spread from the neighboring room.
Here it is important to interpret the signal from the smoke alarm device correctly: the source of danger is not always in the room you are in. If you don’t see any smoke on the ceiling at first glance, you don’t need to check the other rooms. You should also exercise absolute caution when checking the rooms. If you actually notice smoke or even a fire in a room, you must contact the fire brigade or the police immediately and leave the house or apartment.
You should avoid this in the event of a fire
It’s a bad idea to lock yourself in a bathroom or kitchen – even if there’s theoretically access to fire water. In an enclosed space, a real fire can quickly become deprived of oxygen, which can lead to unconsciousness or smoke inhalation. If several fire alarms or smoke alarms sound at the same time, this is usually a bad signal. It rarely happens that more than one device issues a false alarm at the same time. The best thing to do is call the emergency services and leave the house if possible.
If you would like more detailed information about the fire protection problem, you can best take a look around the internet on the pages of the „Smoke detectors save lives“ campaign. Behind this campaign is the association „Forum Brandrauchprävention eV“, which has been responsible for campaigns for preventive fire protection since 2000.
How should a smoke detector be installed?
The installation of a smoke alarm device is usually relatively easy, since screws and other mounting material are almost always included. So if you have a spanner and, if necessary, a drill in the house (and you can also use them to some extent), installing a smoke detector shouldn’t be a problem for you. In addition to screws and dowels, most smoke alarm devices also come with operating and installation instructions, with which even the inexperienced should be able to install these devices without any problems.
The correct installation of the smoke detector not only depends on the actual technical installation – but also on the selection of a suitable location. When installing, it is important to always install the smoke alarm device as centrally as possible on the respective ceiling. The distance from lamps, ceiling fans or other attachments to the ceiling should be at least 50cm. How should a smoke detector be installed
Tip: Some manufacturers offer mounting using an adhesive pad or magnetic pad. No drilling – no dirt – no tools!
When asked about the number of smoke alarm devices required in a house, a distinction is made between the two terms „minimum protection“ and „full protection“.
Full protection minimum protection
Minimum
protection Minimum protection means that you install a smoke alarm in all rooms where you sleep (bedroom, children’s room, etc.) and a smoke alarm in the hallway for minimum fire protection.
Please note that you simply place the smoke detector on a cupboard or table etc., but actually install it on the ceiling.
Full
protection For complete fire protection, it is advisable to equip all rooms, including the attic and basement, with smoke detectors.
Where should the smoke alarm be installed?
Smoke alarms should ALWAYS be mounted on the ceiling – ideally in the middle of the room. You should make sure that the distance to the nearest wall, to furnishings such as furniture and to a joist is at least 50 cm.
What many are not aware of is that another smoke detector should be installed if the room is larger than 60 square meters. Even if rooms are divided by partitions/partial walls or furniture, at least one smoke detector should be installed in each room.
You should also make sure that the spreading smoke can also reach the smoke alarm. You can achieve this by not installing the smoke detector in an area where there is a risk of draughts. So do not mount the smoke detector near air conditioning systems or ventilation outlets, so that the smoke cannot get into the detector.
Bathroom & kitchen
It is generally not advisable to install additional smoke alarm devices in the bathroom and kitchen, since – as already mentioned above – the risk of false alarms is very high here. If you don’t want to do without protection in these rooms, there are alternative models. In principle, you can rely on heat detectors in the bathroom and kitchen and install them (see chapter „Smoke detector is not the same as a smoke alarm!“).
Bedroom / children’s room
The bedroom and the children’s room are the two rooms that should be given the most attention when it comes to smoke alarm devices. After all, most fires are not detected in time or only very late because the toxic smoke gases are only rarely noticed by sleeping people – due to the loss of their sense of smell during sleep. Especially since smoke and toxic gases can be life-threatening even in a very small amount.
By now, at the latest, it should be clear to everyone that a smoke alarm device should be installed in the bedroom and children’s room. The shrill alarm tone even wakes those who sleep soundly from their sweetest dreams, while a detector installed in the hallway or in the adjoining room would be overheard in case of doubt.
Hallway
In most apartments and houses, the hallway is the most central room from which all other rooms lead. As a result, a triggered alarm can usually also be noticed in the surrounding rooms. At least one smoke alarm should be installed in the hallway. Nevertheless, you must ensure that the distance between the individual smoke detectors (in corridors with a width of 3 meters or more) is no more than 15 meters.
Pedestals & Galleries
Even though there are probably not that many apartments, houses or other buildings with pedestals & galleries, we don’t want to disregard this either. If you have such a room elevation, then a smoke alarm device is required as soon as the area of the platform or gallery is larger than 16 square meters and wider than 2 meters.
Rooms with
a fireplace You should not do without a smoke detector in a room with a fireplace, despite the risk of false alarms. Most stoves are now built in such a way that when used correctly, there is hardly any smoke development in the interior. In such a room, however, a heat detector or heat detector can also be useful as an alternative.
Rooms with sloping ceilings
In the case of sloping ceilings, it is important to keep the smoke alarm device as horizontal as possible despite the slope, as smoke always rises steeply and, in the worst case, can „pull past“ sloping ceilings. If possible, you should attach the detector to a horizontal surface if the room is sloping. If the walls in a room – for example in the attic – only taper to a point, a small plate must be used to bring the smoke alarm device into a horizontal position. Important is:
1. With roof pitches of up to 20°, you should install the smoke detector at a distance of at least half a meter and no more than one meter from the top of the ceiling.
2. If your ceiling has an angle of inclination of up to 20°, you should treat it like a horizontal ceiling.
3. In the case of saddle-shaped ceilings, you should install the smoke alarm device on the slope – if the horizontal ceiling is less than 1 meter wide. If the ceiling is more than one meter wide, you should mount the smoke alarm device in the middle of the horizontal ceiling.
L-shaped rooms
22 RK_Clean 22 – L-shaped rooms
Here, too, the 60 square meters come into play, since in L-shaped rooms – which have a size of up to 60 square meters – you always have a smoke alarm device in the so-called “mitre line” of the corresponding room section should mount. Crossing, junction and corner areas are called miter lines. If the L-shaped room is larger, fire experts recommend installing a smoke alarm in each leg as they are considered separate rooms.
Several floors
If your house has several floors, there should be a fire alarm in at least every hallway on each floor. You should also be careful not to install your fire alarm near air ducts or strong drafts. The smoke alarm device has no place even in a rooftop. In this case, the smoke detector should be mounted on the sloping ceiling, depending on the slope of the ceiling (see rooms with sloping ceilings).
Large buildings
If the building to be protected is particularly large or extensive, it can make sense to network fire detectors with one another. A widespread possibility for this is, for example, the connection of several smoke alarm devices via radio. Here you usually buy several detectors of the same type in a set, which can be networked with each other by radio using a corresponding radio module.
If, for example, a fire breaks out in your basement, the wireless smoke detector sends the warning signal to all other detectors so that the fire does not go unnoticed. Wireless smoke detectors are therefore the ideal way to ensure comprehensive fire protection even in buildings that are difficult to survey.
But such a smoke alarm device does not only make sense in larger commercial buildings. Wireless smoke detectors can also be a valuable lifesaver in a normal residential building or spacious apartments. You should only note that you will no longer hear the alarm triggered by smoke as soon as there are 2 doors between you and the smoke detector and you are watching TV or listening to music, for example.
Functional test of all detectors after installation Once you have installed a fire detector in all required rooms, you should immediately go on to the functional test of all detectors. Most fire detectors have a test button for this – this provides information on whether the warning signal is working and the batteries are strong enough.
If you want to be on the safe side, get a test spray for the function test from the hardware store, which can use aerosol and particles (volatile) to simulate smoke development.
Smoke detectors and batteries
Smoke detectors are battery operated in most cases. On the one hand, this is practical, because you don’t have to worry about cumbersome cabling during installation. On the other hand, operation via a battery always involves a certain battery life. Smoke detectors are usually operated with a 9V block battery. Batteries are usually included with every smoke detector. The only difference here is the service life of the respective battery.
smoke detectors and batteries
Lithium battery
A lithium battery should ideally last up to 10 years. However, lithium batteries are not suitable for all models of smoke detectors.
Alkaline batteries
Alkaline batteries have a standard service life of 1 to 2 years and are considered the classic type of battery.
Integrated battery
The permanently integrated batteries have the advantage that they are usually guaranteed to last 10 years, which is why many private individuals and business people are increasingly resorting to this form. The costs for a smoke alarm device with a permanently integrated battery are of course somewhat higher.
When changing the batteries in the smoke alarm device, it should always be ensured according to the operating instructions or the embossing on the battery compartment overleaf that the detector is designed for both types of batteries. If you are not sure about the warning tone for changing the battery, ask your specialist dealer whether the respective smoke detector is suitable for use with lithium batteries.
So that your smoke detector is always functional and never fails in an emergency due to „not enough power“, it has a warning indicator for the battery change. If the battery life is low, the smoke detector announces this with a warning tone 30 days before it is completely discharged and, if necessary, also with an LED. Such a warning tone is emitted by most smoke detectors at a frequency of one minute or several minutes.
It is important to be aware of this warning tone – precisely because smoke detectors should always be attached to the ceiling, it is not always easy to correctly locate and interpret the regular „beep“ in the building. This gives you enough time to change the batteries in your smoke detector, even if you are traveling.
How do smoke alarm devices behave in a smoking household?
Most smoke detectors can deal with normal cigarette smoke, the risk of a false alarm is relatively low here – unless, of course, you blow the cigarette smoke directly into the detector. However, at parties where there is a lot of smoking, the smoke detector can go off. If the air in a room becomes very thin, you should ventilate it regularly, if only for health reasons, instead of doing without fire protection.
Dismantling the smoke detector during a party is absolutely not recommended: Especially where there is a lot of smoking and the atmosphere is high, a burning cigarette butt is more than likely to fall on the easily flammable carpet. In general, however, smoke detectors are „smoker-friendly“ and do not lose quality over the years if they are frequently exposed to cigarette smoke.
Is there a smoke alarm requirement?
In the meantime, twelve out of 16 federal states have a statutory smoke alarm requirement: Is there a smoke alarm requirement
Bavaria
Bremen
Hamburg
Hesse
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Lower Saxony
North Rhine-Westphalia
Rhineland-Palatinate
Saarland
Saxony-Anhalt
Schleswig-Holstein
Thuringia
Baden-Württemberg
This smoke detector obligation applies to private living spaces and is interpreted differently in the different federal states. What the law on smoke detectors in all countries has in common is that the application standard „DIN 14676“ must be observed. It states that in private apartments, bedrooms, children’s rooms and hallways are used as escape routes and must each have at least one smoke detector. It also includes correct installation so that the smoke alarm device actually detects and reports smoke from a possible fire at an early stage. Differences in the smoke detector obligation usually only relate to the need for retrofitting, for example in new buildings, conversions or existing buildings.
In many countries, the obligation has existed for a long time, so that by now all these buildings should be retrofitted with appropriate smoke alarms. Some federal states, in which the law has not been in force for so long, grant their residents a transitional period with a „deadline“ until they should have upgraded.
You can find up-to-date information on the website www.rauchmelderpflicht.net.
Who is responsible for the installation? Tenant or owner?
Your landlord is usually responsible for installing a smoke alarm. When building a house, the builder must of course ensure the installation of smoke detectors himself.
The federal state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is an exception to this rule. Here it is stipulated that only the respective „owner“ of an apartment has to pay for the smoke detector. You are the “owner” of an apartment as soon as the landlord has given you the key to the apartment. From this point on, you are not only responsible for any installation of smoke detectors, but also for constant maintenance and, if necessary, a function test. However, the law in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania also stipulates that the tenant can dismantle smoke detectors they have bought themselves and take them with them when they move, so that the next tenant is then responsible for fire protection in the apartment.
Rental apartment / rental house (Private)rental apartment-
rental house In some federal states, it is the landlord who is responsible for the maintenance and repair of smoke detectors. In the event of a fire, he is also usually liable if the smoke alarm device failed due to lack of maintenance or, in the worst case, was not even available.
However, landlords in various federal states have the option of expressly rejecting this responsibility in the rental agreement and, for example, transferring the battery change and function test to the tenant via an additional clause.
In this case, the landlord should, in his own interest, nevertheless regularly check the professional execution of this maintenance work himself. If the lessee does not meet his/her obligations regarding the maintenance and repair of the smoke alarm device, it may happen in individual cases that he/she has to be liable for any damage caused by a smoke detector that is not working properly or does not exist at all. The landlord can also pass on the maintenance costs to the tenant, but must include them in the annual additional costs.
Commercial spacesCommercial spaces
Different regulations apply to a business. For example, fire alarm systems are mandatory for certain buildings such as industrial plants, kindergartens, schools or offices in order to protect the people working there. However, there is no general smoke detector requirement for every business, as there is for private homes.
Attention: The regulations can vary from state to state. In Hamburg, for example, smoke detectors have been mandatory since December 7th, 2005 and have even applied to all apartments since January 2011. However, the Hamburg building regulations do not prescribe who is to install the smoke detector and who is to maintain it.
In Hamburg, an owner is therefore free to decide whether, for example, to completely transfer the procurement and maintenance of a smoke alarm device to the tenant, or whether to participate proportionately. In North Rhine-Westphalia, on the other hand, the owner of the apartment is responsible for purchasing and installing a smoke detector. However, the renter bears the costs for maintenance and any battery replacement.
Smoke detector obligation
If you would like to find out more about the current laws relating to the smoke detector obligation in Germany, then have a look at www.rauchmelderpflicht.net.
Does insurance pay in the event of a fire?
Of course, insurance companies are also aware of the obligation to install fire alarms or smoke alarms. If no smoke detector was installed in a private apartment – no matter who is responsible for it – when a fire broke out, the insurance company refers to the „legal provisions at the location of the property“ and, in the event of non-compliance with them, releases itself from its obligation to pay. Referring to the ignorance of the legal provisions does not usually help as an excuse, most insurance companies label them as “gross negligence”.