The Series 60 heat detectors are resettable and operate by using a matched pair of thermistors to sense heat. One thermistor is exposed to the ambient temperature, the other is sealed. In normal conditions the two thermistors register similar temperatures, but, on the development of a fi re, the temperature recorded by the exposed thermistor will increase rapidly, resulting in an imbalance of the thermistors and causing the detector to change to the alarm state. Rate of rise detectors are designed to detect a fi re as the temperature increases, but they also have a fi xed upper limit at which the detector will go into alarm if the rate of temperature increase has been too slow to trigger the detection earlier. Fixed heat detectors only change to the alarm state at a preset temperature. Externally, the heat detectors are distinguishable from smoke detectors by having wide openings to the surrounding atmosphere to allow good movement of air around the external thermistor.