With new houses using the sound proofing techniques such as GIB Living Solutions and using air conditioning systems to extract warm air from one room and deliver it to another there is now a need to provide an improved fire and smoke detection system.
Let me explain:
- The family is asleep and a fire breaks out in the living room. If a standard smoke detector is fitted it should be sounding.
Would you hear it with the noise reduction system in place?
From my own experience I know the sound is significantly muffled. (That's why we installed soundproofing).
- Smoke from the fire is extracted by the air-conditioning from the living room and is delivered to other rooms, possibly the bedrooms! It is smoke that is the killer not the flames, this places the family in jeopardy. The reverse also applies, if a fire was to break out in a child's bedroom would you hear the detector if you were in the lounge watching TV with the doors shut.
As you can see there is a need to have smoke detectors fitted right throughout the house and a need to be able to hear them. My recommendation is to have "integrated" smoke alarm fitted that can be wired back to the home security system. This way the household alarm system should also sound, alerting the whole family as well as the neighbours, who will need to know as the flames may place them at risk.
If the security system is integrated into a home automation system then the signal from the smoke detector can be used to turn "OFF" the air-conditioning system so the smoke does less damage to the rest of the house. It could also turn "OFF" the major home appliances (Stove, Heater etc) which could be the very item that has caught fire which will help reduce the fire by removing the fuel. You would also want it to turn "ON" all the house lights to full and unlock the doors in the fire escape path.
There are two types of smoke detectors. One type is called "Ionisation alarm" it detects electrically charged particles of smoke to trigger the alarm. The other is called "Photo Electric" it senses smoke particles passing through a light beam. Note: BRANZ recommends photoelectric type smoke alarms in the living area and Ionisation type smoke alarms in the hall and bedrooms.
The kitchen and possibly the garage should also be considered for extra attention. In these areas I would recommend the use of heat sensors rather than fume detection, this way cooking fumes will not shut down your dinner party and then invite the local fire brigade to add to your embarrassment. The garage is subject to similar fumes, the act of sanding wood for example can trigger the "Photo Electric" type of sensor.
