What type of smoke detectors is better at sensing smoky fires, such as those from smoldering materials?

Photoelectric detectors are particularly effective at sensing smoky fires, especially those that originate from smoldering materials. This type of smoke detector operates on the principle of light scattering. When smoke particles from a smoldering fire enter the sensing chamber, they disrupt the light beam, triggering the alarm. Since smoldering fires tend to produce larger particles and more visible smoke as they burn slowly, photoelectric detectors are adept at picking up these particles.

In contrast, ionization detectors are more responsive to fast-flaming fires that produce smaller particles. Although they can detect smoke, they are not as effective as photoelectric detectors in identifying the smoke from smoldering materials, which are more prevalent in very different fire scenarios. Combination detectors and multi-sensor detectors incorporate features of both types but may not provide the specific sensitivity that photoelectric detectors have for smoldering fires. Therefore, for detecting smoky fires effectively, particularly those from smoldering, photoelectric detectors are the preferred choice.