Although fire is beneficial for cooking purposes, you have to remain meticulous around it. If you do not take precautionary steps, it may risk your life and ravage your possessions. To be on the safer side, people use smoke detectors and smoke alarms.
However, a smoke detector and a smoke alarm are two phrases that confuse some people. Some people – in their uncertainty about these terms – replace the meanings, while some consider them alike.
One of the reasons people get troubled is the close resemblance between the words. So, one may ask, “Is there a difference between a smoke detector and a smoke alarm?” If yes, then what is that difference?
In this article, we have covered everything, from unveiling their definitions to nailing their differences and discussing their costs in detail, we will come up with the best pick between these two for you. Let’s delve deeper into it.
Are Smoke Detectors And Smoke Alarms Different Devices?
Before you compare these two devices and come up with a difference, you should understand their concepts autonomously.
What Is A Smoke Alarm?
A smoke alarm means is an assembly – which is sensitive to smoke – that entails:
- A detector
- An authoritative component – that powers the equipment to work effectively. Either it is a battery or the device runs on electric power
- An appliance – such as an alarm – to produce sound
When a fire alarm detects smoke and alerts the residents with its sound, it means it is most certainly a warning for the forthcoming fire. The dwellers of that building should follow the predetermined fire escape plan and evacuate the building as soon as possible to avoid the wreckage.
What Is A Smoke Detector?
A smoke detector is elaborated on as a sensor that recognizes the smoke particles. It is not an assembly but a constituent of the fire alarm system in your building. It identifies heat or smoke in case of combustion and sends that information to the fire alarm system.
That’s all about its role. When it sends a signal to the alarm system, the warning bell is rung by the fire alarm system and not the smoke detector.
Now that you know their meanings, you understand that a smoke alarm and a smoke detector are different from each other.
What Is The Difference Between A Smoke Alarm And A Smoke Detector?
The elaborations on smoke detectors and smoke alarms vouch for their differences outright. It’s time to dig into the disparity between them. Unlike a smoke alarm, a smoke detector has only a sensor, it lacks the strength to alert you on its own.
To warn you, it either activates the central alarm system or sends the signal to it, and the warning is produced there. This tool has no efficacy if its connection is cut off from the central fire alarm system.
It means that if a smoke detector is separated from the fire alarm system, there won’t be any warning alarm. A smoke detector is not autonomous, but is a part of the fire alarm system.
On the other hand, a smoke alarm is an independent device. It has its power supply and sound tool to raise an alarm of heat and smoke. Also, it does not depend on a fire alarm system to warn people and is a free-standing unit.
What Is The Cost Difference Between A Smoke Alarm And A Smoke Detector?
As the functions of smoke detectors and smoke alarms are different, their costs also vary. But since they are indispensable, you should build a sound understanding of their prices.
Depending upon their type, the prices of smoke detectors vary from $15 to $65. An ionization smoke detector costs less, and you can buy a suitable one for around $20. On the other hand, a photoelectric smoke detector falls in the range of $40-$50 dollars.
If you get a battery-powered smoke detector, it will cost you less than the hardwired one, but its durability is questionable.
Similarly, smoke alarms usually cost between $30-$50. The range of prices gives the idea that some devices are more efficient than others. Their prices may ensure their longevity also.
There are interconnected smoke alarms as well. If one senses the smoke, all the smoke alarms receive a signal regardless of their location from the combustion point. These are more beneficial and expensive than the others- the installation of these will cost more.
When we talk about the installation of smoke alarms, different parameters contribute to the expenses such as location, ceiling, single or double-station alarms, etc.
Should You Buy A Smoke Detector Or A Smoke Alarm?
Well, the answer to this question depends a lot on the sort of building it is.
If you anticipate preventing fire damages in your small residence, smoke alarms are a pretty nice pick for you. Since they are independent units, they are extensively used in homes. These are the sort of security systems that recognize the smoke and help you dodge the advancing fire.
A smoke alarm saves your home from imminent harm. Also, even if you don’t have a central fire alarm system in your home, this free-standing device alerts you beforehand.
On the other hand, large buildings, hotels, apartments, dorms, and houses have smoke detectors set on the walls and ceilings. The only incorporated thing in them is a sensor. You should have a central fire alarm system to coordinate all the smoke detectors. If you have a hotel or a restaurant, a smoke detector will recognize the combustible particles and sends a signal to the control panel- the high pitch sound produces an alert.
For this, you should install smoke detectors on almost every floor and in risky places, and they should be interconnected.
FAQs
What are three types of smoke detectors?
Whether it is an ionized smoke detector, a photoelectric smoke detector, or a dual smoke detector, they have different claims to fame. Before we delve into them, let’s recall that smokes of flaming fire and smoldering fire are different from each other.
If the smoke is of flaming fire, an ionization smoke detector is quicker to signal the central fire alarm system.
On the other hand, a photoelectric smoke detector supersedes the former in recognizing the smoke of the smoldering fire.
The dual smoke detector stands out with the functions of both ionization and photoelectric smoke detectors.
Are red fire alarms and smoke detectors alike?
No, these two things are different from each other. Smoke detectors are merely sensitive devices that identify the smoke particles. Their only job is to signal the fire control panel or trigger the fire alarm.
On the other hand, red fire alarms either receive signals from the smoke detectors or have sensors that feel the smoke to produce intense-pitched sound. Also, the red light in it flashes to provide a visual representation of a warning. Some state-of-the-art fire alarms help in extinguishing the fire as well.
Do I need a smoke detector and a fire alarm?
House fires are a huge concern today. The fires cause both deaths and money damage. Carbon monoxide, a deadly gas that suffocates and causes death, is odorless. It’s not possible to recognize it until its concentration reaches a devastating level.
If you are looking forward to saving yourself, kith and kin, and property from fire and smoke, you should install smoke detectors and fire alarms. Not only do you have to install them but check them regularly to see they are functional. If you believe your life and those of the people residing in the building are important, put some money for security.
Should I avoid placing smoke alarms in some places?
It is recommended to install a smoke alarm 6 meters away from areas of origin of smoke such as the stove and water heater. Where the smoke alarm is set, the temperature should remain between 4-38 degrees celsius. Kitchen smoke should not reach the smoke alarms easily, or it may lead to raising a false alarm (check out this article for the best smoke detectors for a kitchen.) Moreover, areas that are not well-ventilated are also not suitable.
When the temperature drops and the battery is also not fully charged, there are chances that smoke alarms will produce a sharp sound. So, you have to ensure the optimum temperature.
What is the difference between single and multiple-station smoke alarms?
Knowing the difference between single and double-station smoke alarms helps you to design a protective fire alarm system in your place. As the name suggests, a single-station smoke alarm means that there is only one smoke alarm in your residence.
A multiple-station smoke alarm demands that two or more smoke alarms should be connected. If one smoke alarm goes down in flames, the others still produce the warning even if they have not sensed the smoke. The latter is a whole lot better than the former as it gives better odds of protection.
