Photoelectric vs Ionization Smoke Detector: What Is The Difference?

If you’re searching for the right smoke detector for your home, you will see two viable choices for smoke detection: the photoelectric and the ionization options. Both types of smoke detectors have qualities that are important to homeowners when it comes to detecting the threat of smoke and fire. Yet, when you take a closer look, you will see the devices work in very different ways.

It’s also important to understand the difference between a smoke detector and a smoke alarm. A smoke detector contains a sensor that identifies smoke and is sometimes connected to an alarm or sprinkler system within a larger building. A smoke alarm contains a smoke detector sensor as well as a speaker to transmit an audible alarm to occupants.

So, what are photoelectric smoke detectors and ionization smoke detectors? And how do you decide between a photoelectric vs ionization smoke detector? Read on to find out.

How Does A Photoelectric Smoke Detector Work?

What are photoelectric smoke detectors and how do they work? This device aims a focused light source into a sensor chamber with a photosensitive cell. When smoke enters the chamber, it scatters and reflects the light, which then triggers the alarm. Photoelectric smoke detectors are best at detecting large smoke particles from slow, smoldering fires.

How Does An Ionization Smoke Detector Work?

An ionized smoke detector contains a small bit of radioactive material that sits between two plates with positive and negative electrical charges; the charge ionizes the air and causes a current to move between the plates. If smoke enters this chamber, the ion flow, and therefore the charge, is disrupted and the alarm sounds. These smoke detectors are well equipped to sense the very small smoke particles produced by fast-moving fires where the flames are visible.

These two types of smoke detectors identify smoke and fire with different processes, which means their degree of effectiveness will depend on the specific fire situation and the location of the smoke detectors.

Pros and Cons of Photoelectric and Ionization Smoke Detectors

When it comes to deciding between a photoelectric vs ionization smoke detector, it can be helpful to weigh the pros and cons of each type. These can include response times, types of fires detected, and the potential for false alarms with each type of smoke detector.

When Is a Photoelectric Smoke Detector Best?

So, what are photoelectric smoke detectors best for? Photoelectric smoke alarms respond fastest to smoldering fires that begin slowly and burn without a flame for a long period of time. It’s no secret that many deaths from residential fires occur as a result of smoke inhalation rather than flames. Being able to detect smoke early can be a lifesaver, helping families to escape before the flames have even started, and helping to avoid potentially life-threatening smoke inhalation. These types of fires often occur when small flames from things like candles or cigarettes are left unattended.

It should be noted that photoelectric smoke alarms are more expensive than ionization smoke alarms. However, they are also less sensitive to cooking smoke and steam, making them less likely to produce false alarms and a better choice for kitchens or near steamy bathrooms.

When Is an Ionized Smoke Detector Best?

When you’re deciding between photoelectric vs ionization smoke detectors, it’s helpful to know that ionization detectors respond faster to smoke from flaming fires than a photoelectric device does. Most flaming, fast-moving fires are a result of flammable liquids, wood, or paper catching fire. These are items that produce flames right away and do not produce as much smoke as a smoldering fire. For this reason, ionized devices will provide family members with a more advanced warning to get to safety before hot, flame-intense fires engulf the residence. Ionization devices more quickly detect low-smoke, high-flame, quick-moving fires.

These types of smoke detectors are typically less expensive, but they also tend to cause more false alarms as they’re more likely to go off due to cooking smoke, or the high levels of steam or humidity frequently produced in kitchens and bathrooms. If you have this type, you’ve likely learned how to quickly clear smoke from a room while cooking.

Which Smoke Detector Is Best for Your Home

Still can’t decide between photoelectric vs ionization smoke detectors? The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) suggests creating the safest environment possible for your family by installing both photoelectric and ionization smoke detectors throughout your home. Because they each detect different types of fires, it’s too risky to go with one and not the other because there is no way to predict what type of fire may threaten your home or your family. So, you could place photoelectric smoke alarms in some places and ionization smoke alarms in others. Besides, you’ll need several smoke detector alarms throughout your home, including at least:

• One in each bedroom
• One outside every sleeping area
• One on every level of the home, either in the living room or near the stairway to the next level

Another option is that you might not have to buy two different kinds of smoke alarms. Some smoke detectors utilize both ionization and photoelectric technologies. These types of smoke detectors are known as “dual” smoke detectors and are widely available at home improvement stores and online at a variety of price points and from several brands. There are also multicriteria smoke alarms, sometimes called intelligent alarms. These use several different sensors, typically including photoelectric, ionization, and heat sensors, in addition to a specifically designed algorithm, to detect fires. The multiple sensors help reduce false alarms due to heat or smoke in the kitchen, or humidity and steam from the bathroom.

However, if you have to choose a single-criteria smoke detector, a photoelectric smoke detector is likely the best choice since it’s more sensitive to the types of fires that are frequently the most deadly, and it is less likely to produce as many false alarms, making it easier to place in close proximity to kitchens and bathrooms.

Contact Aire Serv For Smoke Detector Installation and Repair

As a homeowner, you want to do all you can to take advantage of the potentially lifesaving technology available for smoke and fire detection. First things first, it’s important to make sure your smoke detectors are installed correctly and in the right locations. If your smoke detectors are battery-operated, set alarms to replace your batteries at least once per year. Detectors with sealed, non-replaceable batteries are typically good for up to 10 years. Hardwired smoke detectors are hardwired to the home’s electrical system, but they need to be wired properly, and the backup battery should still be replaced yearly if it’s not sealed in. No matter what type of smoke detector you select, it’s crucial that you test your smoke detector monthly to ensure it’s working properly.

Ready to get started with updating your smoke detectors? Time to step up the fire safety measures in your home by trusting the professionals. Let our local Aire Serv^® team install ionization and photoelectric smoke detectors to provide your home with the ultimate protection against smoke and fire. You can feel confident that we’ll get the job done right because all of our services are backed by the Neighborly Done Right Promise^™. Our experts will walk you through your best smoke detector (and carbon monoxide detector) options and provide professional installation to bring you peace of mind and a higher level of safety for your home. Contact us to learn more about how we can improve the fire safety of your home now. Breathe easier with Aire Serv.