What is an Aspirating Fire & Smoke Detector?

What do you do when your indoor space is too large or high for standard smoke alarms to work in?

A single detector is not enough to cover the entire room and if the ceilings are very high, it makes it hard to maintain them. So what do you do?

Let us introduce you to Aspirating Fire & Smoke Detectors. They are an incredibly simple yet effective fire detection system that can be easily customised to fit complex and large indoor spaces and high ceilings that require smoke and fire detection warning systems fitted.

They work by drawing air in through a network of pipes that have holes strategically places within them to allow air from the room/indoor space to be drawn into the pipe system.  These pipes are connected to an Aspirating Fire & Smoke Detector which continually samples the air that is pulled through the pipe system looking for smoke particles.

The advantages of an Aspirating Smoke Detector

Aspirating Smoke Detectors (also known as Air Sampling Detection Systems (or ASD)) can monitor and detect smoke from fires incredibly quickly and offers a very early warning system for your buildings fire protection.  Aspirating Smoke Detectors can actually detect many fires before an open fire has ignited and visible smoke has become visible. With these air sampling smoke detectors, a big advantage of this type of detection system is that they can detect fires a lot quicker than other standard point or beam detectors can. This makes them invaluable as a life saving tool and in high risk fire locations.

Where can Aspirating Smoke Detectors be used?

Large indoor spaces are an obvious location for these systems but they are a popular choice for:

Data & Telecommunication/IT Server Rooms

Data and Telecommunication Equipment rooms which house mission critical, expensive electrical equipment that are a high fire risk.  The early detection benefits of aspirating smoke detectors can help to save data servers from significant fire damage, especially when used with a gas suppression systems.

High Level Ceiling Locations

Aspirating Smoke and Fire Detectors are also popular for high level indoor spaces.  Industrial, manufacturing facilities, churches, sporting venues and storage warehouses where high ceiling level make standard smoke detectors unusable or where the maintenance of these smoke detectors is not practical as part of a Fire Safety Maintenance Programme are the ideal locations for ASD Systems.

Historic Buildings

The UK is filled with some truly stunning historic buildings with high ceilings and beautiful cornicing.  Which is why the last thing a private home owner would want is an ugly smoke detector sitting on the middle of the living room ceiling.  Aspirating Smoke Detectors can be located discreetly while still performing to the highest standards.

High Fire Risk Sites

Sites where dust particles present a serious fire risk and often set off standard smoke detectors makes Aspirating Smoke Detectors the ideal solution for a businesses early fire warning systems.

Find out more

At HF, our Fire & Security Division is backed up with NSI Gold and NSI Fire Gold accreditation so that we can operate to the highest possible industry standard and guidelines across the UK. We can take care of all your fire and security needs from early warning systems such as Aspirating Smoke Detectors to Gas Suppression Systems and so much more.  If you would like to know more about our range of services, please contact us today to arrange a site visit and an initial consultation to discuss your Fire & Security needs. With offices Nationwide, we can provide the design, installation and maintenance of your Fire Systems, all backed with 24/7 monitoring and call out service.