Smoke Alarms

Smoke alarms are designed to detect smoke to prevent a fire hazard. Smoke alarms are an essential part of any home or business to ensure the safety of your family or employees.

Smoke alarms continuously sample the air and sound a loud alarm when they detect smoke particles. Optical alarms use a light beam and are best at detecting slow, smouldering fires, making them the usual choice for hallways and living areas. Ionisation alarms react faster to fast-flaming fires but are prone to false alarms. Interlinked alarms trigger every alarm in the property at once, giving everyone the earliest possible warning to get out.

Your smoke alarm will be able to detect smoke at the very early stages. It will make a loud beeping noise and won’t stop until the smoke alarm doesn’t detect smoke anymore.

Smoke alarms are typically installed on every floor of your home/business. Smoke alarms should be installed in every bedroom to alert the occupant sleeping there is a sign of smoke/fire. It is important to install the smoke alarm on every floor and every bedroom to ensure the safety of the occupants.

Smoke alarms should not be installed near vents, windows and doors. They also should not be installed in bathrooms, un finished attics, garages and near cooking appliances. These areas can give false signals.

The rules depend on where the property is and how it is used. Scotland requires interlinked smoke and heat alarms in all homes, while rented homes in Northern Ireland, England and the Republic of Ireland have their own requirements, and new builds must meet local building regulations. As a guide, fit a smoke alarm in the main living room and on every hallway and landing, a heat alarm in the kitchen, and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fuel-burning appliance. Check the current rules for your area or ask your electrician.

It is advised to have a knowledge and experienced electrician to install the smoke alarm. Smoke alarms are a legal requirement therefore, must be installed correctly. Incorrect installation can cause serious hazards to your home/business and to the occupants in the building.

Most smoke alarms last about 10 years, and the replacement date is printed on the alarm. Test every alarm monthly using the test button. Mains-powered alarms with a sealed 10-year lithium back-up battery need no battery changes; alarms with replaceable batteries should have them changed at least once a year.

The answer depends on the size of your house. An average amount is five smoke alarms. Smoke alarms must be installed on every floor and in every bedroom. The more bedrooms you have, the more smoke alarms are required to ensure the safety of your family.

All smoke alarms have a date expiry date noted on the alarm. It is important to check when the alarm was made. Usually after 10 years, the smoke alarm will need replacing. If your smoke alarm is detecting false smoke and chirping after changing the battery, it is a sign you will need to get a new smoke alarm.

Optical smoke alarms use a light beam and sensor to detect larger smoke particles, so they respond well to slow, smouldering fires and are less prone to false alarms from cooking. Ionisation alarms react faster to small particles from flaming fires but nuisance-trip more easily. Optical models are the common choice for hallways and living areas, and all the smoke alarms listed here are optical or photoelectric types.

Some smoke alarms can be wall mounted, but ceiling mounting is generally preferred because smoke rises and collects there first. If a manufacturer permits wall mounting, it will specify a height range below the ceiling. Always follow the instructions for the specific model and any requirements in current regulations.

An RF (radio-frequency) smoke alarm communicates wirelessly with other alarms in the same system, so if one detects smoke, all of them sound. This avoids running interconnect cable between rooms, which suits occupied homes and extensions. RF alarms may be battery or mains powered, and they only pair with compatible alarms from the same manufacturer.