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Fire alarm systems
Essentially fire alarm systems are designed and developed to detect the effects of fire and alert appropriate parties. Some systems are much more elaborate and effective than others. The most common type are simple home smoke detectors which sense smoke or heat and emit a piercing noise to alert residents day or night. They come in three major varieties known as line type, spot type and air-sampling type.
Other fire alarm systems are based on pull stations where individuals activate the alarm manually. These are more common in apartment or office buildings and are often located near exits. In the United Kingdom similar devices require that a small pane of glass be broken to set off the alarm. Such devices are often known as “manual pull boxes” and work great except that they require occupants to take action rather than alerting them to do so.
More sophisticated fire alarm systems will be equipped with a variety of automatic sensors such as:
• Heat Detectors – Work in conjunction with thermostats to detect drastic changes in heat
• Water Flow Switches – Detect when water is or is not flowing through the fire sprinkler system
• Valve Supervisory Switches – Indicate that a sprinkler valve which should be open is closed
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