A house fire is a terrible thing. In one fell swoop you can lose all your possessions, and more devastatingly, all your memorabilia. Some research has shown that people react more viscerally to the loss of family photos and other personal items than expensive, material things like a house, or a car. However, a house fire can leave permanent psychological issues as well as material ones. American Psychological Association offers some resources on this topic.
Fortunately, there are new technologies which can help you prevent accidental fires and react faster if the fire occurs.
Smoke Detectors
Smoke is an important indicator of a fire. This article gives you a short explanation of their relationship http://www.redtruckfire.com/why-does-smoke-come-from-a-fire.html.
Regular smoke detectors beep when they detect smoke, which is usually enough for you to react in a timely manner if you are at home. But what if you’re not?
Smart smoke detectors function largely in the same way like the regular one, but it has the ability to send you notifications to your smartphone. Some can even send notifications to the fire department and manage your HVAC to help prevent the smoke from spreading.
If combined with a camera, you can be sure whether there is a fire, as well as the magnitude and the point of origin, which is very useful information to the firemen. Finally, some high-end models come with carbon monoxide detectors.
Fire Detectors
If your smoke detectors are unreliable, that is they give a lot of false positives, you can try fire detectors. They actually detect excessive heat and warn you when there is something unusual. They can be used together with smoke detectors for maximum safety.
Appliances
If you don’t only want to be quick to react to a fire, but also prevent it from ever happening, there are appliances that can be accessed remotely in order to be sure that they are off.
Stove
Stoves are the source of the majority of house fires. The biggest problem are unattended stoves. Fortunately, there are stoves that have motion sensors that shut down your stove if you’ve been away from it for too long. This way, you are protected if you’ve forgotten to turn it off before leaving your house.
Batteries
There are smart batteries that you can use with many different devices. This way, no matter what you plug into them, you have the ability to turn them on or off remotely from your smartphone. They can also remind you to charge them when they are close to being empty. You can ensure that your important devices are never out of power.
Washing/Drying Machines
Both of these devices are usually left unattended, which can cause some problems if the machines are faulty in any way. Fortunately, if they are connected to the internet, they can inform you if anything goes wrong.
An additional benefit is that you can turn them on or off remotely, which can save you some time and money if you’ve forgotten to do so when you left the house in the morning.
Outlets
You can think of this solution as a master switch. Have you ever wondered whether you turned the iron off when you left home? Or if the lamp has been shining for two days straight?
If you install smart outlets, all of those worries can be easily solved. Simply turn off the power in the outlet which concerns you. Just like most of these solutions, you can do this via your smartphone.
That said, smart homes do not eliminate the possibility of a fire outbreak, and thus, you should not take fire safety issues lightly. The interconnection of the devices to connect and exchange data could create a potential risk of ignition.
Up to Code
To avoid a fire hazard, make sure that your house is up to the code and that you follow the guidelines to minimize the possibility of a fire. It is highly recommended Electrical Panel repairs or upgrades are done to your home’s electrical system, especially if you plan on using some of the smart devices talked about in this article.
Installation of fire safety equipment like smoke alarms, home fire sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers, etc., are good practices to ensure that the residents, as well as the house, are safe from potential fire damage. There are a lot of options and classifications of fire extinguishers that are used to put out fires caused by various factors, and if you are on the lookout for the one that could suit your need, you could look at the UK options here and choose the appropriate one for your house.
Nevertheless, it is always better to follow the fire safety measures and protocols laid down by the authorities and be prepared for any kind of potential fire breakout.
To contact Red Truck Fire & Safety Co.
5555 Santa Fe St M, San Diego, CA 92109, United States
800-973-3878
