Fires in the home can have many causes: defective electrical appliances, overheated frying fat or candles burning unattended. A small fire can quickly turn into a flaming inferno. Therefore, smoke detectors and fire extinguishers should not be missing in any home.
Smoke detector
Every year, more than 400 people die in Germany as a result of a fire in their own homes – most of them, however, not from burns but from smoke inhalation. In addition, there are a far greater number of personal injuries as well as property damage caused by the flames and smoke. Even if you take the usual precautions – such as not leaving fires unattended and keeping lighters childproof – an apartment fire can still happen. To ensure that such an emergency does not turn into an emergency, there are two things that should be in every home:
- Functioning, high-quality smoke detectors on some room ceilings.
- At least one technically sound and safety-checked fire extinguisher
In addition, all family members should know how to behave properly in case of fire and what the emergency number of the fire department is (112)! The loud alarm of a smoke detector certainly warns of treacherous fire smoke, which spreads silently and at lightning speed in the apartment. The sound and noise of the smoke detector are especially important at night, because most victims are surprised by fire and smoke while they are asleep and often notice the smoke development much too late or not at all. As a result, they inhale the highly toxic carbon monoxide that is almost always present in smoke. Inhaled only three times, carbon monoxide can already cause unconsciousness; after about ten breaths, a person is dead. The installation of smoke detectors is not required by law in all German states. As a result, the small white boxes are found in only a few private households. Yet, according to the unanimous opinion of experts, smoke detectors could reduce the number of fire deaths per year by half.
How do smoke detectors work?
Most detectors work on an optical principle, with scattered light. Light beams are emitted at regular intervals in the measuring chamber of the smoke detector. If smoke enters the measuring chamber, these light beams are deflected and hit a photocell, which then immediately triggers the shrill alarm sound. Hearing-impaired people, people with a loss of high frequency (sounds above a certain frequency can no longer be heard) or people living alone who take off their hearing aids at night cannot perceive the loud alarm tone of a smoke detector (85 dbA). Therefore, there are special smoke detectors for them. In the event of an emergency, these emit a bright, easily perceivable flash of light. At night, a small disk connected to the detector and placed in the sleeper’s bedding ensures quiet sleep. It vibrates in the event of an alarm and warns the hearing-impaired in good time of the deadly fire smoke, even at night.
How many smoke detectors should there be?
The recommended number of smoke detectors depends on the size of the apartment. In small apartments or apartments, one smoke detector in the center of the room is usually enough. The minimum for a three-room apartment and for houses with several floors is one device in the hallway, better still in each living room and bedroom. Attention: When equipping the house or apartment with smoke detectors, the attic, boiler room and home workshop should not be forgotten – serious fire accidents occur time and again, especially during home improvement. But: conventional devices are inappropriate in the kitchen, bathroom, garage or boiler room, because the fumes (or even numerous dust particles) generated in these rooms can trigger false alarms. Here, smoke detectors that have new intelligent sensor technology or a mute switch are useful. By the way, smoke detectors should always be mounted on the ceiling!
How to recognize good smoke detectors?
- High-quality smoke detectors (to recognize, among other things, by the sign VdS) are already available for less than ten euros – for example, in electrical stores, security companies and fire protection companies or in hardware stores.
- Battery-powered smoke detectors are recommended, as they are also operable if the power fails.
- With good smoke detectors, an audible warning signal sounds automatically and for a long time when the battery needs to be replaced. Most manufacturers now offer smoke detectors with a ten-year battery. For safety’s sake, a new battery should be used more often.
- For battery-powered smoke detectors, look for a test button that allows you to check at any time whether the device is still operational. Some manufacturers also offer devices that can not be closed if no battery is inserted.
