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Wireless Smoke/heat alarms with 10 year sealed battery

Gary GRAYSTON

Speaking with building control, they want mains wired interlinked smoke alarms to upper and ground floor, which i agree with, but... why cant we now install the 10 year sealed battery RF units?

As a sensor unit has a life span of 10 years and should be replaced at this point, what is the reason for not allowing the battery ones? Do the regs need updating to allow these units?

  • 0

    You cannot install them because they do not comply with the Building Regulations, one of the valid reasons is that it would not be a permanently installed alarm system and easily removed.

    www.tameside.gov.uk/.../note16.pdf

  • 0 in reply to Sparkingchip

    You can easily remove the mains linked ones as well, the head just comes off. I have been to several rentals where tenants have removed them.

    Gary

  • 0 in reply to Sparkingchip

    The whole regulatory structure around this issue seems to be quite vague. On one job I was told by the Chief fire officer that wireless alarms could only be used in retail/commercial premises with no habitable dwelling above, if multistorey, and not in domestic installations.

    Last year I did a cottage which was to be a holiday let, and the owner didn't want any cosmetic disruption - especially the newly tiled bathroom floor which would have accessed the kitchen below to add a wired heat alarm. I spec'd 3 alarms, 1 heat & 2 smokes. I also said to the customer that it might be a good idea to get the fire officer out for their advice. When the customer called me back, the spc had been reduced to 2 x alarms and wireless was an acceptable solution, so I popped a couple of AICO radiolink jobs in. The paring process was not straight forward though, or rather, the instruction were missing the required clarity for an easy fuss-free installation..

  • 0

    Cheltenham Council HMO licensing requirements:

    Smoke detection

    Smoke/heat detectors must be interlinked (radio linked is acceptable) and should be hard wired into the property.  For smaller low risk HMOs it may be acceptable to use 10 year battery-sealed smoke detectors as long as they are interlinked.

    www.cheltenham.gov.uk/.../5

  • 0 in reply to Sparkingchip

    Don’t assume the same rules apply across the country, Worcester City Council requires fire extinguishers and fire blankets in HMOs, Cheltenham does not.

  • 0

    A 10 year life battery one not acceptable ?. The obvious reason is lack of permanency; people will only change them if they're disciplined or safety concious. Also, how many test them at the recommended intervals including landlords ?

    Jaymack

      

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