What is primarily used to detect heat in buildings for fire safety?

Heat sensors are primarily designed to detect changes in temperature, making them a crucial component in fire safety systems within buildings. These sensors work by monitoring the ambient temperature and triggering an alarm when it exceeds a predetermined threshold, indicating the potential presence of a fire. This capability is particularly valuable in environments where smoke may not be present initially or where smoke detectors might be less effective, such as in kitchens or industrial settings with a lot of particulate matter in the air.

While smoke detectors are designed to sense the presence of smoke particles and are commonly used in conjunction with heat sensors, they don’t specifically detect heat itself. Thermal cameras, while valuable for identifying hot spots and providing visual assessments, are not typically employed as primary fire detection devices in buildings. Manual alarms rely on human activation to report a fire, rather than automated detection based on environmental conditions. Thus, heat sensors are correctly identified as the primary device for detecting heat in fire safety contexts.