Smoke Detector Testing: Overview
The fact that smoke detectors need testing is now relatively well understood. The question is what tests are required and what should be used to accomplish them properly.
Testing requirements may be divided between those performed in the in the field (by specialist contractors or by fire system owners) and those accomplished in the lab or factory (by detector designers, detector manufacturers or by third party test houses) . The tests vary by country but, broadly, the easiest split is:
Functional (or operational) testing
Functional checking, with a non measured source of stimulus is required by all national standards around the world. It involves the introduction of a smoke, or simulated smoke, stimulus through the vents of a detector to the sensor.
Sensitivity (or Calibration) testing
Sensitivity testing ascertains not only whether, but at what point, the detector responds to smoke. It is a quantitative test. It is required, not just in production but, increasingly, by codes and standards for field and site service and maintenance.
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