Looking into fire safety equipment for my barn. I know smoke detectors are a bad idea because of dust. What about heat detectors though? Thoughts? Other ideas? (Can’t afford a sprinkler system!)
not a professional opinion but have used 170 Heat Detectors as they are commonly used in locations that are dirty or smoky under normal conditions
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I have a heat detection system … installed by a professional and it’s always given me peace of mind to know its there.
Another vote for rate of change heat detectors, hard wired as in auto call to central monitoring system.
Things may have changed in the 16 years since we built our barn but I was flat out told that smoke detectors don’t work reliably under 32degrees. Heat detectors will go off if there’s a sudden change in ambient temp even if from 10 below to 20 above. They will rust over time so may need replacement after 10 years or so.
Two suggestions: consider having your fire dept do In service training at your barn to learn how to handle horses and consider having a local fire extinguisher provider come out to teach you and anyone who might spend time in your barn area how to properly use a fire extinguisher. Obviously mount several fire extinguishers in handy obvious places.
Then there’s the usual stuff. Use professional electricians, GFI plugs, never leave small appliances or heaters plugged in unattended, keep aisles and doorways clear of obstructions. And FYI all sprinklers are intended to do is give a short window (15 min or so) for humans to exit the building, not knock out the fire entirely. Or so I’ve been told.
Looking forward to more ideas!
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I boarded at a place that had a system like that. It gave me a bit more peace at night!
At my prior barn the BO had the FD in, although I always thought she should have done it annually. They did the usual survey for extinguishers, exit signs, safety, etc. They spent time looking at the layout and how to get the horses out.
If you are in a small town you should check out what kind of FD you have. Around here there are towns that have a few paid officers and staff; they rely on on-call firefighters. Some are paid, some volunteers. There are departments that are 100% volunteer. There may be a building that two towns share. Ask about response time. Barns burn to the ground in a few minutes. There was a fire that destroyed a barn and indoor arena in about 10 minutes one morning. They think it started with something plugged in - coffee pot, perhaps. Fortunately no horses were inside. When the FD arrived there wasn’t anything they could do to get it under control. No fire is under control until they are making progress against it which means it is getting smaller.
If you have wifi at the barn, you could use a security system like SimpliSafe. A base station is about $130 and heat sensors are $30 each. The sensors are little pucks you can place anywhere, and the app allows you to set the temperature alarm. You can also get water monitoring ones in case you have any concerns about freezing pipes, etc.
My boyfriend and I just bought our first house in upstate NY, but until he retires in a few years we’re just weekenders. Its been tremendous peace of mind monitoring the temperature remotely.
