Many homes may not be adequately protected by smoke detectors

Testing of most home and business smoke detectors have fascinated me for many years. In the 80s I worked for a Telecommunications company and we tested smoke detectors are our plants and offices using smoke. The test method for detectors commonly used in homes is by pressing a bottom attached to the detector.

One can almost instantly reason that the process does not test for smoke but closes the sensor circuit that the smoke would close after smoke was sensed. This leaves me to think that smoke detector testing fall short of assuring someone that the unit is working to the point where warning is effective.

There are two major detector designs commonly used in homes or businesses. One is ionization the other photoelectric. The ionization can absorb a fair amount of smoke without triggering a sensor. The problem is more with the profile of the smoke and not the functionality of the sensor. Smoke can engulf an area without noticeable combustion. Photoelectric sensors react much quicker to limited smoke thereby providing a bigger window of opportunity to escape a fire.

Various studied have been conducted with regards to smoke detectors. There have been many reports where batteries were replaced, the unit tested but the sensor did not work when in the presence of smoke. There is no doubt smoke sensors save many lives each year, yet but there are many reports of death and severe injure caused because these units did not work.

Since I don’t recommend using smoke sources from combustion to test sensors and artificial smoke is not readily available I recommend installing both types of detectors in homes and businesses. Installing both detectors would afford home owners the warning needed to escape fires. Sensors can be tested for operation by personnel trained to perform these tests.