Types of Fire Detectors

Fire detectors are essential safety devices designed to detect the presence of a
fire or smoke & alert people to the conditions that may lead to a fire and save
them from danger.
Many modern fire alarm systems include a combination of these detectors to
furnish comprehensive fire detection and reduce false alarms.

What are the factors that depend on the selection of a fire detector?
The selection of a fire detector depends on various factors such as
 The specific application
 The type of fire hazards present,
 The environmental conditions of where it is installed,
 The desired sensitivity level.

How the fire detectors are classified?

There are several types of fire detectors available in the market with various
technologies to detect fires or smoke. Here are some common types of fire
detectors:

1. Ionization Smoke Detectors:

 These Ionization detectors use ionization chambers to sense smoke
particles.
 These detectors use the minimum amount of radioactive material to
ionize the air within the detector inside a sensing chamber.
 When smoke particles enter the sensing chamber, they disturb the
electrical current, & ionization process, which causes the detector to
activate an alarm signal.
 Ionization detectors are most effective & particularly good in detecting
fast-burning, flaming fires and are widely employed in residential
settings.
 2. Photoelectric Smoke Detectors:
 To recognize smoke, these photoelectric smoke sensors utilize a light
source and a light-sensitive detector.
 When smoke particles enter the sensing chamber, the smoke scatters the
light rays, forcing the sensor to activate an alarm.
 Usually, these detectors are highly susceptible to slow smoldering fires.
 These detectors are suitable for residential and commercial applications.
 These detectors are more immune to generating false alarms from
cooking or steam.

3. Heat Detectors:
 Heat detectors are intended to respond to a rise in temperature forced by
a fire rather than smoke.
 Usually, these heat detectors are utilized in areas where smoke detectors
might produce false alarms, such as kitchens or garages.
 There are two main types of heat detectors: Fixed Temperature & Rate-
Of-Rise Detectors.
a. Fixed Temperature Detectors
These Fixed Temperature Detectors trigger an alarm signal when the ambient
temperature surpasses a specified predetermined threshold pre-set level.
b. Rate-of-Rise Detectors
These Rate-of-rise detectors trigger an alarm for an immediate rise in
temperature at a certain rate over a short period of time.

4. Combination Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors:

 These Carbon monoxide detectors are specifically designed to sense &
monitor the presence of both smoke and elevated levels of carbon
monoxide (CO) gas.
 Since Carbon Monoxide is odorless and colorless but can be fatal at
higher concentration rates.
 Pairing of both Carbon Monoxide Detectors & smoke detectors may
provide extra security in places of residence and work.
 CO detectors serve a vital function in identifying the presence of harmful
carbon monoxide gas, which can be a typical result of fires and can be
generated through incomplete combustion.

5. Flame Detectors:
 Flame detectors are equipped with specialized sensors that detect the
presence of flames or specific wavelengths of light radiated by fires.
 They are frequently used in industrial settings and commercial settings
where early fire detection is essential, & fires that may generate intense
heat and flames, but not smoke.
 Flame detectors are used to detect the presence of flames or sudden
bursts of light associated with fires.
 They are commonly used in areas where smoke detectors may not be
effective due to the nature of the environment.

6. Gas Detectors:
 While not strictly fire detectors, gas detectors are used to sense the
presence of combustible gases or other hazardous or toxic gases that can
lead to fires or explosions.
 These detectors are often used in industrial settings or areas where
specific gases may pose a danger.
 These detectors are used to detect specific gases like methane or
propane, which can be indicators of a potential fire or explosion hazard
in commercial and industrial settings.
 They are essential for preventing fires in areas where gas leaks are a
concern.
7. Spark and Ember Detectors:
 These Spark and Ember Detectors are specialized detectors designed to
detect sparks, embers, or hot particles that might ignite fires in
industrial settings.
 These detectors detect the presence of small, hot particles and trigger an
alarm.
 These specialized detectors are used in environments where sparks or
embers could ignite fires, such as in grain elevators or woodworking
shops.

8. Flame Ionization Detectors (FID):

 FID detectors are used in laboratories and industrial settings to detect
the presence of flammable gases by measuring the ionization of those
gases when exposed to a flame.
 FIDs are used in some specialized industrial applications to detect the
presence of hydrocarbon fires by ionizing combustion products.

9. Air Aspirating Smoke Detectors (VESDA):

 VESDA detectors use a network of pipes to actively draw in air and
analyze it for the presence of smoke particles.
 They are highly sensitive and often used in critical facilities where early
detection is crucial.
 This advanced system uses a network of pipes and sampling points to
actively draw air samples from a protected area into a central detector.
 It can detect smoke at its earliest stages and is commonly used in
sensitive environments like data centers.

10. Air Sampling Smoke Detectors:

 Similar to aspiration systems, these detectors use a network of pipes to
sample air for the presence of smoke particles.
 They are highly sensitive and suitable for critical applications.

11. Linear Heat Detectors:

 These detectors activate when the temperature at any point along the
cable exceeds a predetermined level.
 This detector consists of a heat-sensitive cable that can be installed in
areas where traditional detectors may not be suitable, such as cable
trays, conveyor belts, or ductwork.

12. Beam Detectors:

 Beam detectors use a transmitter and a receiver to send a beam of light
across an area.
 If smoke or other obstructions interrupt the beam, an alarm is triggered.
 These detectors are often used in large open spaces or warehouses.