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Do I need a new consumer unit for 3 new smoke alarms?

Stephen Baldry

Hi. I have just had a garage conversion, and in order to get final sign off by building regs, need 3 wired and radio linked smoke alarms. 

Building regs are happy that the wired alarms use the existing downstairs lighting circuit, but I have been given inconsistent advice from the sparks that I have had quotes from. 

The existing consumer unit has a 100 Ma trip protection. Some tell me that I will need 30 Ma trip to comply, others not. Obviously that makes the cost of just 3 smoke alarms quite a bit more expensive, so I wanted to get a view from this forum. 

The alarms would be wired to the local circuit, and in the ceiling bottom and top of stairs, as well as the new room

Help would be really appreciated thanks

Steve

Parents Reply Children
  • 0 in reply to OlympusMons

    ^^^ This.
    Don't know about the rest of the country but up in Scotland radio linked devices with 10 year sealed batteries are permissible. Does away with any of the hard wiring headache. Yes, slightly more expensive than mains but not drastically (if you shop about).

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