New Fire Regs

Are you sure he doesn't mean separate circuit from the CU ? Most fire alarms/alarms I have seen are on a separate breaker on non RCD side of CU.

Possibly, but compulsory for domestic house due to alterations? really?

Thats the nature of the regulatory process. IF you add in something, then it has to be to new build standards.

The theory being that if e.g. someone is doing a rewire., its done 'correctly' and therefore in time old s**te gets phased out.

Its no big deal to add an alarm circuit when doing a rewire.

If thats what I'm doing but I'm not We are moving a staircase and electrics are not involved I dont want added extra cost of alarm systems ffs!

On Tue, 22 May 2007 21:17:25 +0100, "Vass" mused:

Doesn't matter, we've done loads of jobs where no electric work was being done but soke alars have had to be fitted.

Not an alarm system, 2 mains interlinked smoke detectors with backup.

OK, but if I fit £ 10 smoke alarms in most rooms before the inspector visits, then becasue they were fitted in the past 3 years he cannot insist on this expense right?

Mmm. worth a try.

Can anyone explain what these regulations that are being talked about are? I have two battery-powered smoke detectors that I test regularly

- usually by burning the toast.

However if there are regulations that say that any major works (notifiable to building control?) require mains wired alarm to be fitted then I would rather do that now whilst I have the relevant floor boards up.

Does a mains alarm require its own circuit? I only had the consumer unit replaced last week and thought that I had thought of every circuit that I might require. If a smoke alarm requires its own circuit then that is one that I obviously forgot. Fortunately there is a spare.

Andrew

On 24 May 2007 01:46:08 -0700, Andrew mused:

BS5839: Pt 6. Basically it says that as a minimum in dwellings you require a smoke detector in each communal area, so in a average 3\4 bed semi\detached you'd have one in the hall and one on the landing. These detectors should have built in non removable backup, lithium battery\capacitor or similar.

I'd do it anyway, as the boards are up.

Yes, there are ways and means to do it without but if you have a spare way then run the smoke detectors on their own circuit.

Ah yes, Building Regs Part B. Got it now. Interesting that it does seem to also allow for the alarms to be run off a local lighting circuit if they have battery backup and qualifies this by going on to say that "this has the advantage that the circuit is unlikely to be disconnected for any prolonged period". The revision that came in last month specifically adds a requirement for isolating power to the alarms without isolating the lighting. What would be best for that? I would have thought that something like a light switch is too likely to get turned off.

Andrew

On 24 May 2007 07:51:12 -0700, Andrew mused:

I'd still run a new circuit in if possible.

A light switch is a switch, not an isolator. An isolator is required to isolate all live poles, so in this case you'd need a douple pole switch to isoloate the live and neutral. If you are going to do this I'd use a key switch to prevent inadvertent turning off.