Smoke detectors are very crucial pieces of safety equipment in your home and it is now also mandatory in NSW that residential properties have at least one smoke alarm on every storey. Not many people are aware of this, but a large percentage of fires in homes cause massive destruction because the smoke detectors didn’t function the way they should have.

The unfortunate fact is that we almost always take these fixtures for granted; we get them installed and rarely even notice they are there on the ceiling until they get set off accidently or when their batteries go dead. Improperly installed smoke detectors or even poorly-maintained ones will only end up letting you down exactly when you need them.

It’s important that you make smoke detector maintenance a part and parcel of your regular home maintenance routine. There two main types of smoke alarms used on residential properties:

These have minuscule quantities of radioactive material that reacts to the particles that are emitted when a fire breaks out, and that sets-off the alarm. These alarms are extremely effective in the detection of fast-flaming fires in which there isn’t too much of visible smoke.

These have photocells with a light beam that shines away from the cell. If smoke enters its test chamber, the smoke particles scatter some of the light; this hits the cell and triggers the alarm. These types of smoke detectors are ideal for detecting smouldering/smoky fires, which is how residential fires typically are.

Regardless of the types of alarms installed on your property, it doesn’t take more than a few minutes annually to ensure that these devices are in a working order at all times. The few steps you should take are:

Aside from the regular maintenance, it’s also very important that you consider how many smoke detectors you have and how they are powered. The best way to increase the effectiveness and safety of these devices is to upgrade your home’s smoke detection setup. The things to focus on are:

We can install and maintain smoke detectors on your residential or commercial premises. For more information, contact the Allround Electricals team at this number – 1300 169 263. Alternatively, you can also write to us at this email address.

Thanks for reading,1300 169 263

By Clarissa Allison | October 16th, 2015

Many of us get excited to decorate for Halloween and Thanksgiving, but why should our homes miss out on the sheer delight and beauty of Fall colors for the rest of the season? If you love pumpkins, the warmth of gold and rust tones and ever-changing leaves, consider decorating with autumn-themed accessories this season. Some Halloween decor like brooms, scarecrows, and orange lights represent fall itself and can be extended beyond October decorations. If you’re looking for an understated alternative to ghostly props and frightful window clings, try dazzling your home and your guests with the following fall lighting ideas this year.

Automation lies at the core of much of our modern lives. However, it evolves at radical speeds. The simple concept, to build a machine to perform a task without human intervention, was the engine of the industrial revolution. Now that concept is the driving force behind robotics, self-driving vehicles, and a wide range of advanced technologies.

Most automated tasks are part of a closed-loop system. This system is designed so that the outputs are monitored and fed back to the controller. The controller changes its operation as needed. An example of a closed-loop system is a home thermostat, which monitors the air temperature. When the low set-point is reached, a contact closes in the thermostat, beginning a furnace lighting cycle. As the furnace runs, the room air temperature increases until the high set-point is reached. The contact opens and ends the furnace burn cycle. This is automation.

With electrical relays, it is possible to achieve a variety of automatic functions. A motor starter uses a relay to close a contact that sends electrical power to a motor. In addition, it closes a set of auxiliary contacts that keep the main relay closed. A control mechanism, such as a temperature input or a stop button, can be wired in series with the auxiliary contact. This allows for control of the motor. An expansion of relay logic is the programmable logic controller or PLC. Instead of mechanical relays, a PLC uses a set of input and output contacts connected to a computer controller. Software in the controller then dictates how the inputs and outputs interact. They additionally execute specific patterns of operations, based on programmed ladder logic.