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Fire detectors for home and business: standalone, Ajax or addressable
Smoke, heat and CO detectors, standalone units, wireless Ajax and addressable Dahua systems: where to place them and what works with an alarm hub.
Smoke, heat or CO: what each detector senses
An optical smoke detector is the most universal: it notices a smouldering fire at an early stage and suits bedrooms, corridors, offices and sales floors. A heat detector responds to a temperature threshold (often about +55…+65 °C) or to a rapid rise; it is for kitchens, garages and dusty or steamy rooms where a smoke detector would give false alarms.
A CO detector senses carbon monoxide, an odourless gas that is dangerous even without a fire near a gas water heater, boiler, fireplace and in a garage. There are also combined detectors, smoke + heat or smoke + heat + CO, in one housing.
Standalone detectors
A standalone detector runs on a battery (a 9 V block or a lithium cell lasting several years), has a built-in sounder of about 85 dB, a test button and a low-battery warning. It is the cheapest and simplest option for a flat, a country house or a small shop; installation takes two screws.
There is one drawback: it only warns people who are present. If nobody is home, nobody learns about the alarm. Some models link to each other by radio and all sound together, which is useful in a large house.
The wireless Ajax system
Ajax fire detectors (the FireProtect 2 series in smoke, heat and CO variants) connect to a hub via the Jeweller radio protocol: an alarm reaches your phone instantly, Ajax sirens go off and, if you wish, a monitoring company's control room is notified. The detectors are also interlinked: if one sees smoke, all of them sound. The battery lasts for years and no cables need to be run.
This option suits a home, office, shop, restaurant or small warehouse, especially if an Ajax security system is already installed; the fire detectors are added in the same app. ASB Trade is the official Ajax Systems distributor in Georgia.
Addressable Dahua systems
An addressable fire system is wired: detectors, manual call points and sounders are connected to one loop, each has its own address, and the control panel shows exactly which detector tripped and in which room. Such a system is for a large building: a business centre, hotel, warehouse, factory or shopping centre.
Through modules the panel controls ventilation, lifts and door locks. The system is installed to a design by specialists, and fire-resistant cable is used for the loop. The Dahua addressable detectors, panels and modules at ASB Trade come from the Georgian distributor.
Where to place the detectors
A smoke detector goes on the ceiling in the middle of the room, about half a metre from walls and corners, away from ventilation and air-conditioner airflow, which keeps smoke from reaching it. As a guide, one detector per room; in a long corridor or a large hall, several, evenly spaced. Bedrooms and the corridor outside them are a must.
In the kitchen, garage and boiler room use a heat detector. A CO detector is placed in the room with the boiler, gas water heater or fireplace, about 1–3 m from the appliance, at breathing height or on the ceiling as the instructions say. Damp, very dusty and freezing places are not suitable for an ordinary detector.
What works together and how to maintain it
A standalone detector does not connect to an alarm system. Ajax detectors work only with an Ajax hub, where sirens, opening and motion detectors and leak sensors are added alongside. Dahua addressable detectors work with a Dahua panel. All types are checked monthly with the test button, cleaned of dust, and the battery is replaced at the first warning.
Frequently asked questions
Which detector should go in the kitchen?
A heat detector; it does not false-alarm on steam and burnt food. A smoke detector goes in the corridor outside the kitchen or in the adjoining room.
Does an Ajax fire detector work without a hub?
FireProtect 2 has a built-in sounder and will sound locally, but phone notifications, simultaneous triggering of the other detectors and monitoring only work with an Ajax hub.
How long does a detector battery last?
In a standalone detector an ordinary 9 V battery lasts about a year and a lithium one several years; in Ajax detectors the battery works for years. When it runs low the detector chirps periodically or the hub sends a notification.