You’re around 8 times more likely to die in a fire if you do not have a working smoke alarm in your home. The number of smoke alarms to fit in your home depends on your particular circumstances. Fires can start anywhere, so the more that are fitted, the higher the level of protection. As a rule of thumb, it’s best to use optical alarms in living rooms, bedrooms or downstairs hallways where you either have a lot of upholstered furniture and soft furnishings or the alarm is likely to be set off by cooking fumes. Keep ionisation alarms for upstairs hallways or areas where dust or exposure to the elements (say, through an open door) might potentially set off an optical sensor. If in doubt, go optical or use a multi-sensor alarm. Use of ionisation alarms is generally being discouraged by many fire services, and some manufacturers have now discontinued their ionisation products. Every alarm only really has a life of around 10 years, so you should replace them after this time. Some smoke alarms have a date printed on them, to let you know when to change the alarm. If not, just write the date on the alarm when you install it. You can put them in kitchens and garages because they’re not prone to false alarms from cooking or exhaust fumes. But they are slower to respond than smoke alarms.

For kitchen, garage or workshop use, fire services also recommend fitting a heat alarm. These sense hot air rather than smoke, and trigger when the air in the sensor chamber reaches a specific temperature, which is usually 58°C. Heat alarms are slower to respond than actual smoke alarms, but they’re also not as prone to false alarms. They won’t go off when you’re grilling sausages or burning toast, but they still provide ample warning if something catches fire in your kitchen.

Use a thermostat controlled electric deep fat fryer. They can’t overheat. What to do if a pan catches fire Now that the alarms law has changed in Scotland, you'll need to install interlinked heat and smoke alarms in your home. Buying a smoke alarm could help save your home and the lives of you and your family. What are smoke alarms? This is great for large houses, but also if a fire breaks out downstairs when you’re sleeping upstairs. You should also have at least one CO alarm on each level of your home, particularly near sleeping areas. It would also be a good idea to fit them in rooms with devices which can produce the gas. These include boilers, gas cookers and solid fuel appliances like fireplaces.

These are much better at detecting a smouldering fire, which causes a lot of smoke. As burning upholstery is usually the source of a smouldering fire, optical alarms are ideal for living rooms. If you have a smoke alarm in your hallways which likes to cheer when you do the cooking, it could be an ionisation alarm. That is because cooking fumes can also have the same effect as the radioactively-charged particles. Interlinked smoke alarms will use the same optical or ionisation technology mentioned above, so, they're not a type of alarm in their own right.Smoke alarms are self-contained devices that incorporate a means of detecting a fire (smoke detector) and giving a warning (alarm), usually a very loud beeping sound. They are about the size of a hand and are normally fitted to the ceiling. They can detect fires in their early stages and give you those precious minutes to enable you and your family to leave your house in safety. What type of smoke alarms are available? Fire blankets are used to put out a fire or wrap a person whose clothes are on fire. They are best kept in the kitchen. These come fitted with a lithium battery which have a ten-year guarantee. That’s ten years you can go without having to replace the battery in your alarm. Although the initial cost is more, think of the money you will save on batteries. Plus it’s a more environmentally friendly way of living.

Keep them clear from curtains and furniture and never use them for drying clothes. Using an electric blanket Follow the manufacturer’s instructions – smoke alarms need very little maintenance. A few minutes of your time during the year will ensure that your alarm is working and could help save your life and the lives of your family. You should:The latter are pricier when you buy for the first time, but you won't have to factor in the expense of replacement battery costs.

And whatever alarm you have, you should also be cleaning it from time to time. A build-up of dust, fibres or cobwebs can interfere with its operation. Using a vacuum cleaner around the case of the alarm and wiping it with a cloth is all you need to do to maintain any alarm. Combined Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms: Alarms that combine both smoke detection and CO alarm protection in one ceiling-mounted unit. This reduces costs and takes up less of your living space. These alarms are more sensitive to smaller particles of smoke produced by the flaming stage of fires than optical alarms, and more easily triggered by cooking – causing false alarms. Wireless devices communicate with each other and other devices without the use of connecting wires. This can be through interlinking by radio or through wi-fi. The alarm needs to also be at least 30cm (12”) away from walls or light fittings. So in the event that you have a light in the centre, place it to the side. And if you have a sloped ceiling, then place it 90cm (36”) away from its peak.It’s not unheard of for people to use rechargeable batteries in their smoke detectors and have never had a problem with it. However, the manufacturers of these rechargeable batteries recommend that you don’t use them for smoke detectors. All of the major manufacturers (Aico, FireAngel and Kidde) make smoke and heat alarms that will work in combination with one another and we have tested pairs of smoke and heat alarms from each of them. Combined Optical Smoke and Heat Alarms: Combinations of optical and heat alarms in one unit to reduce false alarms while increasing the speed of detection. There are mainly four types of smoke alarm currently on the market – ionisation, optical (also described as photo electronic), heat and combined. There are two different types of interconnectable alarms. They can connect using radio frequencies or with a wired connection.