Understanding the Differences and Similarities Between The Home Flame Detector and Industrial Flame Detectors

1. Flame Detection

Both The Home Flame Detector and industrial flame detectors are engineered to quickly identify open flames. They use sophisticated sensors to detect various characteristics of a flame, for example, ultraviolet light. However, industrial flame detectors will often add more sensors to help discriminate between other sources of ultraviolet light that would not be present in the home adding to the high cost of industrial flame detection.

2. Communications

The Home Flame Detector utilizes an audio system to produce a local alarm as well as the local Wi-Fi network to notify the user of the flame and its location. In contrast, industrial flame detectors utilize high speed hardwired communication protocols to send signals to other devices such as fire suppression systems and can be programmed to accomplish many other tasks including shutting valves, producing alarms and a host of other activities all of which are costly.

3. False Alarm Avoidance

The Home Flame Detector has special algorithms that prevent false alarms from occurring. This is accomplished by processing the signals from the sensor in a way to ensure that no false alarms are produced. However, this processing can take a second or two which may seem insignificant but in an industrial setting where suppression systems are activated, this is a big deal. Resolving a one second delay is a big deal for industrial flame detection but not noticeable for the Home Flame Detector which further allowed us to put this powerful technology in the hands of the consumer. The Home Flame Detector has racked a total of 50,000 run time hours (and counting) without a single false alarm.

4. Construction

The Home Flame Detector is engineered for indoor use and to be aesthetically pleasing and user friendly. Industrial flame detectors require significantly engineered metal enclosures that must also be intrinsically safe (explosion proof) in addition to being able to withstand extreme temperature changes and very harsh chemical environments that do not exist in a residential environment.

5. Installation & Operation

The Home Flame Detector is designed to be easy to install. It operates for about a year on common AA alkaline batteries that can be found at any local grocery store. The design lends itself to wall mounting with a magnetic bracket and is even designed to sit and operate on a bookshelf. There is no need to calibrate the Flame Detector because all of this work has been done at the factory. In contrast, industrial flame detectors often require a skilled installer and a sophisticated calibration method specific to the environment that they reside in.

6. Listings & Certifications

Another significant difference between industrial flame detectors versus The Home Flame Detector is that of third-party testing and certification. The costs associated with certifications for the industrial flame detectors can be in excess of a hundred thousand dollars and in some cases, there are multiple certifications required. In contrast, the Home Flame Detector has been engineered to self-supervise for sensor faults as well as monitor for battery levels. In fact, if the Home Flame Detector encounters a sensor failure it will report that via a push notification to your phone. It will also do this for a low battery condition well in advice of the “Low Battery” audio message that the device will speak if the push notifications are ignored for too long.

Regarding testing, the Home Flame Detector is designed to not only be easy to test but also to provide for a truly honest functional test. As opposed to smoke alarms, the Home Flame Detector does not require a ladder or an uncomfortable ear blast during the test. With the Home Flame Detector, you keep both feet on the ground and simply flick a Bic™ in the space and you have done a 100% functional test that you can feel confident with. In contrast with a common smoke alarm, you push a button on the plastic enclosure and that is supposed to represent how the device will perform if smoke enters the sensor. In fact, you could completely seal the outside of a smoke alarm to prevent any smoke from entering the sensor and the device would still pass the push button test!