Fire Detectors: Types, Where to Install Each and How to Choose

The right detector reacts in the first minutes of a fire and does not bother you with false alarms. The wrong one either stays silent or screams at the steam from a kettle.

Here are the main types of fire detectors and where each one belongs.

What types of fire detectors are there?

By detection method: smoke (optical point, beam, aspirating), heat (fixed-temperature, rate-of-rise, combined), flame (IR, UV), gas, manual call points and multi-sensor (smoke + heat).

By communication with the panel: conventional, addressable, analogue addressable and wireless (radio).

Which detectors go in an office and which in a kitchen?

Offices, corridors, archives and server rooms need smoke detectors: when paper or insulation smoulders, smoke appears before flames.

Kitchens, boiler rooms, laundries, smoking rooms and car parks with exhaust fumes need heat detectors. Stores of flammable liquids and open areas need flame detectors.

Where should a smoke detector not be installed?

Avoid putting smoke detectors near sources of steam, dust and smoke (kitchens, showers, smoking rooms, boiler rooms), directly in the airflow from air conditioners and supply vents, next to lamps, and in corners where smoke doesn't collect.

In such places use heat, flame or multi-sensor detectors. Choosing the right detector is the best protection against false alarms.

What is a manual call point and where is it installed?

It is a red button or lever that a person uses to raise the alarm on seeing a fire before the automatic detectors react. Call points are installed on escape routes: at floor exits, in corridors and by staircases, about 1.5 m above the floor.

Modern addressable call points (for example IPR 513-3AM) show on the panel exactly which one was pressed.

What is a wireless fire alarm system?

It is a system in which detectors communicate with the panel by radio rather than cable. It is used in historic buildings, rooms with expensive finishes, and places where you cannot chase walls or need fast installation.

Downsides: detectors cost more and batteries must be replaced. Hybrid systems are common: mostly wired, with wireless devices in difficult areas.

How often should fire detectors be replaced?

Detectors are replaced at the end of their service life (usually about 10 years) or when they fail. Detectors that do not respond during testing, or keep causing false alarms after cleaning, are replaced immediately.

Replacing all detectors older than 10 years is a good decision: the system becomes reliable again and false alarms disappear.

How we choose detectors on site

An engineer looks at each room's use, ceiling height, ventilation, steam, dust, exhaust and temperature. At pumping stations, for example, we fit S2000-IP-03 heat detectors in machine halls, DIP-34A smoke detectors in switch rooms and control rooms, and IPR 513-3AM manual call points at exits.

This gives a fast response to real fires with a minimum of false alarms.

Multi-sensor detectors: when they are worth it

A multi-sensor detector analyses smoke and heat at the same time. It reacts faster to different fire types and makes fewer mistakes where there is light dust or temperature swings.

They cost more, so they are used selectively: in hotel corridors, rooms with changing conditions and places where a false alarm would be especially disruptive.

Detectors for special conditions

Hazardous areas (filling stations, oil depots, fuel stores) need explosion-proof detectors. Unheated warehouses and outdoor areas need models with an extended temperature range and moisture protection. High spaces need beam or aspirating systems.

Choosing the wrong version is a frequent cause of failures and inspection findings.