What are ionisation smoke detectors?
Ionization smoke detectors use an ionization chamber and a source of ionizing radiation to detect smoke. When smoke enters the ionizing chamber, it disrupts the flow of charged particles, resulting in a decrease in the ionization current. This change triggers the alarm system, sounding the alarm to notify occupants of the potential fire hazard. Ionization alarms have been phased out in Queensland as they are not effective in detecting slow smoldering fires which is the most common way a house fire starts.