Anyone know anything about fire/smoke alarm installations? A relative is getting nagged by the local Fire Dept who want grade F LD2 smoke detectors installed in an old B&B and have supplied a copy of the Department for Local Communities booklet =93Do You Have Paying Guests?=94
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document implies, page 14, that grade F smoke detectors are =93wirelessly connected=94 at least and a heat detector in the kitchen is linked in too.
However, another document =93FIRE ALARMS IN DWELLINGS=94 by John Ware at
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an ambiguous picture that for grade F the detectors may not need to be linked. The relevant standard is BS 5839: Part 6: 2004, though as that costs =A3200 I am not about to buy it.
So do grade F smoke detectors, the minimum requirement, have to be interlinked (wireless or cable) or not ?
I'm not sure what grade F is without looking it up, but, yes, I think they should be linked, and I think you'll need emergency lighting too. What do the Licensing Authority and Insurers say? Both may be have more onerous terms than the Legislation.
It isnt particularly expensive to install these items, so should be done asap if there are paying guests in the house.
"Premises similar to a family home =85 are likely to need an automatic fire detection system =85 Grade D LD2 =85 designed for domestic premises. In the very smallest accommodation =85 a connected system of detectors with a 10-year battery, or radio interlinked detectors [grade F LD2] may be good enough"
You have to risk assess whether Grade F will be sufficient, you may decude that you need a Grade D system.
AIUI grade F have to be interlinked but can be battery-operated. Grade D must be mains-operated with back-up.
Summary at
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Grades
Six different grades of fire detection systems are being defined. Generally speaking, the greater the fire risk the more sophisticated the system should be. Briefly, these 6 grades are: Grade A - A full system with control and indicating equipment installed to BS 5839: Part 1 Grade B - Detectors and sounders using simpler specified equipment Grade C - Detectors and sounders or alarms with central control Grade D - Mains powered alarms with an integral stand-by power supply Grade E - Mains powered alarms with no stand-by power supply Grade F - Battery powered alarms
System Categories
Three different categories of life protection systems are defined. Briefly these are (starting at the highest): LD1 - Alarms in all circulation spaces that form part of escape routes and all areas where a fire might start, but not bathrooms, shower rooms or toilets LD2 - Alarms in all circulation spaces that form part of escape routes and rooms or areas that present a high fire risk LD3 - Alarms in circulation spaces that form part of escape routes
Building Regulations Approved Document B (Fire Safety) minimum requirements are currently Grade D, LD3, but it also defines that installation should be to BS 5839 Pt.6 and therefore Grade D, LD2 is recommended. Grade D, LD3 Mains alarms with battery back-up with the mains supply taken from a lighting circuit or a dedicated circuit from the distribution board Smoke alarms are required in the circulation spaces such as hallways and landings. In general optical alarms are recommended e.g. Ei146, Ei166RC Heat alarm to be installed in the kitchen where there is no door separating the kitchen from the circulation space, e.g. Ei144, Ei164RC Smoke and heat alarms must be interconnected Alarms may be interconnected using radioLINK
Thanks for the pdf. which seems to indicate that interlinks are required for grade F. The reason the Fire Dept. think it's only grade F is probably that the B&B is actually very little used, like two spare bedrooms and 10 guests a year max, really a hobby.
A DIY job looks feasible as linkable battery sensors are easily obtainable on eBay and fireproof wiring is not needed. Haven't found wireless ones at a feasible price.
It would be cheaper to close the B&B than get a professional installation - bit of bureaucratic overkill IMHO.
At one time Fire Angle did something like that. Mains powered smoke with rechargeable battery with BC socket and plug all in one unit. Basically remove bulb and insert the alarm between it and the lamp holder.
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't think they still do it, and it was not interlinked.
LD1, 2 or 3 are the areas covered by the detection; the grades (A to F) are the types of detectors used. LD2 is generally all circulation spaces, plus any risk rooms such as kitchens or living rooms. Grade F is the lowest, and consists of battery powered detectors. The reason, therefore, that they would be wirelessly interlinked is that they are not wired in.
A brief reading of the leaflet you quote implies that a Grade F system would be only suitable in a very small premises (e.g., a holiday cottage). In the preceeding sentence it describes a system that would be acceptable in a dwelling house as mains-wired (Grade D).
Personally, I would suggest that a minimum of mains-wired detection is provided, and that it should cover the hall and landing. If the kitchen is directly off the escape route and is used for fry-ups, etc., then a heat detector should be included. Also if there is a guests' lounge this should be covered too. If the reliability of the detectors' wireless connection is anything like my router's, I wouldn't trust my life to it.
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