It may sound a bit of a cliché, but smoke alarms really do save lives. Not all fires are immediately visible and, once fully lit, a fire is very difficult to extinguish. The problem is exacerbated at night when you are asleep; the first sign you could have that there is a fire is when you are woken up choking on the smoke – by which time it is much too late. Whether you are awake or asleep, the sense that is most active is your hearing, which is why an audible tone is emitted when smoke has been detected. There are many different types of smoke alarms that work in different ways, but by far the best options are the photoelectric smoke alarms.

These alarms use a system of LEDs and sensors to detect smoke. Normally, a beam runs from the alarm to the sensor; essentially creating an electric circuit. If there is a fire, particularly when it is beginning, there is a lot of black smoke billowing out which obscures light. This creates a scattering effect of the LED and, effectively, breaks the circuit. This, in turn, sets off the alarm.

The reason why this type of alarm is preferable is because it allows you to detect the beginnings of a fire. Many alarms rely on heat to set them off but by the time a fire becomes hot enough to be detected it is usually a sign that it is starting to get out of control. By detecting the smoke it means that, even if the fire is just begun to smoulder, it can be detected and extinguished by the fire service much quicker. Also, it reduces the number of ‘false alarms’ that you could experience. If you place a detector in a kitchen, steam from food will not set it off as it would another type of alarm (the steam is not thick enough to obscure the light enough). These two factors are incredibly important in ensuring that you have faith in your detector.

The only stumbling block is the price as you have to factor in the cost of getting someone in to fit the system. For photoelectric smoke alarms you can be paying upwards of £20 for one connected to the mains and £25 for battery operated ones. The cost of hiring out a person to fit photoelectric smoke alarms varies from person to person, although in some areas the fire department will fit it free of charge.