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Fire alarms are an absolute necessity for any workplace, home, institution, or any building. This is because, you never know when a fire might strike. Therefore, taking all precautions is extremely important.

While taking the precaution against fire accidents, what makes a huge difference is the type of fire alarm you choose. So, before you decide to buy a fire alarm system, it is always recommended to have a complete understanding of the ones available in the market. This will help you choose the best one suited to your requirements.

Let's have a look at the three broad varieties of fire alarm systems available.

1.      Addressable Fire Alarm System

 This is one of the modern types of fire alarm systems that have mushroomed in the market. In an addressable fire alarm system:

• Each of the components that make up the system has its unique address.
• All the components are connected to each other through wiring along with the main control panel, therefore, forming a loop.

What happens here is, as soon as the fire is detected, this system can pinpoint the exact location of the fire in the building. This type of system is quite convenient for large buildings.

2.      Non-addressable Fire Alarm System

This is a conventional fire alarm system where the components are connected to the main fire alarm panel separately. The only problem with it is: when a fire is detected, there is no way of knowing which component has triggered the alarm. Therefore, it becomes quite difficult to approximate the area of the building where the fire has occurred.

 However, this type fire alarm system is a lot less expensive than its addressable counterpart and can be installed in a relatively small building.

 There has always been a raging debate over choosing between an addressable fire alarm system and a conventional one.

3.      Wireless Fire Alarm System

As the name suggests, this type of fire alarm system is devoid of wires, therefore, upholding the decor of the walls. Wireless fire alarm systems detect fires with the help of radio waves. Some of the benefits of these systems include the following:

• These devices are portable.
• They can detect a fire at a very early stage.
• You would not have to face any installation hassles with this system.
• Since these devices are devoid of cables, the fabric of the building suffers zero damage.
• These devices reduce installation time to a bare minimum, since cables are not required.

 Smoke detection forms quite an integral part of the fire alarm unit. Therefore, fire alarm systems can also be divided according to their smoke detection capabilities. The three broad categories of smoke detectors have been discussed here.

1.      Thermal Smoke Alarms

This type of smoke detector responds to heat. But a big disadvantage with this type of smoke alarm system is that, it can go off when temperatures go slightly beyond the threshold value for fire alarm, thus causing inconvenience.

2.      Photoelectric Smoke Alarms

This type of smoke detectors is known for its ability to detect smoldering fires. This is how it works:

• When light streams into the detector without any smoke, it travels straight across the device without hitting the sensor.
• When smoke enters the detector, it scatters the light inside, modifying its normal path.
• As soon as the path changes, light hits the sensor and the alarm goes off.

3.      Ionization Smoke Alarms

Ionization smoke alarms can easily detect fast-spreading flaming fires, providing the building occupants enough time for escaping before the fire spreads. Here's how it works:

• Under normal conditions, the electrically charged plates inside the system facilitates motion of current in the space between the two plates.
• When smoke enters the chamber, the motion of ions is disrupted and consequently, the alarms is set off.

For the best fire protection, it is recommended to install a combination of photoelectric and an ionization smoke alarm to save yourself any hassle.

Before choosing the right fire alarm for your building, you can take advice from a fire safety consultant to have an idea about which one would suit the building best. Always remember that the right fire alarm can save a lot of lives.

Katie Smith is a Fire Expert and his area of interests and expertise lies in forensic science and accident or crime scene investigation related matters. He often consults Houston Fire Investigation.