There are four primary types of detectors that detect the presence of a fire.

Understanding the difference between these heat and smoke detectors will help you to
determine which detector is ideal for any application.

The four types of fire detectors are heat, ionization, photoelectric, and
ionization/photoelectric. The differences in each of these how they detect fires, heat
being from temperature, and the other three being from smoke. The best detector is the
combination ionization/photoelectric.

Heat Detector
Heat detectors detect the presence of heat and an
increase in air temperature. These detectors have
few false alarms but, they take longer to identify a
fire than a smoke detector. They’re ideal in
situations where smoke detectors may cause false
alarms such as steamy, humid, or dusty
environments. Infrequently occupied areas like
storage facilities, warehouses, or machine rooms
also use these types of detectors.

The three most common smoke detectors are

ionization, photoelectric, and combination
ionization/photoelectric. All smoke detectors sound an alarm, when they identify smoke,
in order to notify a building’s occupants. What differentiates these detectors from one
another is the way that they detect smoke.

Ionization Smoke Detector

Ionization smoke detectors have a constant
electrical current that occurs between two metal
plates in the device. When smoke enters the
chamber it disrupts the electrical current and
causes the alarm to sound. These detectors are
excellent at detecting fast burning fires.

Photoelectric Smoke Detector

Photoelectric smoke detectors have a beam of
light in the device and when smoke scatters the
light it causes the alarm to go off. This type of
device is quicker to identify small smoldering fires
than an ionization smoke detector. They’re extremely reliable and produce few false
alarms.

Ionization/Photoelectric Smoke Detector

A combination smoke detector is the best way to
protect your facility and its occupants from a fire. When
both forms of smoke detection are together on one
device it helps to ensure that regardless of the type of
fire, it will be detected as soon as possible.

In some cases, a variety of heat and smoke detectors

will be installed throughout a facility. An expert will
provide you with a solution that best suits your facility’s
needs.