Smoke Detectors or Heat Detectors – Bull Answers the Question

When it comes to protecting workers, it is critical to warn them of any hazards or dangers at the earliest opportunity. In the case of an emergency, a smoke or heat detector is crucial to alarm workers before a fire breaks out.

But there can often be some confusion about whether or not a business should have a smoke or heat detector, as there are several differences between them.

Bradley Markham, director at Bull Products, a manufacturer of life-saving fire protection equipment, shares the key differences between smoke and heat detectors.

Smoke detectors

Intended to protect people and safeguard properties, smoke detectors work by generating an alarm before the spread of a fire.

A smoke detector is triggered when it detects the presence of soot in the air and warns of smoke in the area. They are most likely installed in areas where smoky fires are likely to occur.

In addition to giving workers more time to react, advanced smoke detectors often allow first responders to address the fire hazard before serious property damage occurs.

Heat detectors

Heat detectors are intended to minimise property damage by reacting to the change in temperature caused by a fire.

A heat detector is activated and sounds an alarm when it senses a change in the ambient temperature. The heat detector is triggered when there is a rise in temperature that is beyond a pre-set level.

Usually, heat detectors are fixed in places that are susceptible to fire breakouts; for example, in storage areas where fuels and combustible chemicals are kept. In other cases, the heat detectors are used to trigger fire sprinklers or other types of fire suppression systems.

Did you know? Heat detectors usually do not sound false alarms, and an alarm is triggered only when the temperature is very high. They cannot detect smoke as they do not sense particles of combustion, and are designed to only alarm when heat on the sensors increase at a predetermined rate.

In some cases, heat detectors are chosen because of their low cost and greater immunity to contaminants and environmental extremes.

Bull supply a range of detectors designed to protect workers in an emergency.

For more information about Bull Products, visit: www.bullproducts.co.uk

Image shows a DS22 Stand Alone Smoke Detector available from Bull