Fireray heater keeps optical beam smoke detectors clear of condensation

September 23, 2015

FFE’s Fireray optical beam smoke detectors provide wide area smoke detection when it is impractical to use traditional point-type detectors. They are also ideal for large indoor spaces with high ceilings, such as warehouses, sports arenas, factories or shopping malls. There are two general types of detector: end-to-end, which utilise two detector heads; and reflective, which have one detector head and a reflector (prism).

With the onset of autumn, lower temperatures can cause condensation to form on detector lenses and reflective prisms. This obscures the lens and prism, reducing the amount of infrared (IR) light reaching the detector. This has a similar effect to smoke and can lead to unwanted false alarms.
To combat this issue, FFE has developed a new range of anti-condensation heaters for its Fireray range of optical beam smoke detectors and reflective prisms.
The detector heater circulates a current of warm air over the lens, raising its ambient temperature by up to 10°C and maintaining the lens at an incrementally higher temperature than the surrounding air. This dramatically reduces the likelihood of condensation forming on the lens which, in turn, reduces the potential for false alarms.
The prism heater is an ultra-slim heating pad which is fixed behind the mounting plate. As with the detector heater, it maintains the temperature of the prism above that of the surrounding air, preventing condensation from occurring and reducing false alarms.
As well as being an ideal solution to the problem of seasonal cold weather, the heaters could also be used year-round on detectors and prisms located in temperature-controlled cold storage areas.
Heaters are available for use with the Fireray 3000, Fireray 5000 and Fireray 50R/100R smoke detector ranges. They are highly practical tools for reducing the environmental impact of condensation and minimising false alarms.
About Fire Fighting Enterprises
FFE is a global design and manufacturing business, dedicated to supplying specialist detection products to the fire industry. Headquartered in the UK with offices in the USA, Dubai, India and China, the company’s two leading brands are the Fireray optical beam smoke detector, with over half a million units installed worldwide, and the Talentum flame detector, one of the world’s most respected flame detector brands. FFE also leads the global market in providing fire extinguishers for aviation use and produces a range of vibration switches for industrial applications. FFE is a Halma Company.