Smoke alarms, approx fitting costs

As they have to be interlinked do they also have to be mains powered?

Around here the fire service will fit free smoke alarms for vulnerable people. Even special ones for the deaf and ones where the battery is in a box on the wall so you can change it without steps.

you can get interlinked battery powered alarms. The batteries don't last as long or they have two batteries.

I dont know, I am only asking as I am writing to my MP asking how he expects those that can ill afford to pay for the installation.

If battery operated how is the Scottish Parliament going to ensure that the majority of these alarms will not be useless after a few years when those who cannot be bothered at present to fit them will not be bothered to replace the batteries?

How is the Scottish Parliament going to police this policy?

Like most other things they do, probably a shambles!

I couldn't find any non mains powered interlinked ones when I last looked. I had seen some before, eventually put in the (ELV) wiring, then couldn't find them again.

I ended up rewiring for mains ones, using 6243Y.

The age limit is reasonable, as that is usually the working life of the detector.

"should be" doesn't sound like "have to be"...

Just been through this in Treznal. The alarms got a lot cheaper once they were mandated.

They are supposed to be installed with 10-year lithium batteries, ideally not user-exchangeable so the alarms will be renewed after 10 years.

For those unwilling to drill and plug them to the ceiling, there are self-stick magnet things. Plate sticks to the ceiling, plate sticks to the detector, both magnetically stick together.

Should one skip the ten-year battery, 4? a piece for the alarms, battery included. Spend more and the alarms are smaller, and less plasticky. Radio-linked alarms are 15? and up.

The chimney sweep here offered a fitting service, 40? a pop, but using a better alarm with both heat and smoke.

Thomas Prufer

That is clearly rubbish, My smoke alarm is on the side of the upper floor by the stairs where any convective airflow will go. Its within reach, so no falls in the home trying to replace batteries, and it can be tested even by a blind person as I can touch it. No need for any other alarm all heating and cooking is electric.

Fire service offer a free smoke alarm service to vulnerable people, but they glue them to the ceilings and I'd expect that is not very secure either.

I think that in rented accommodation the rules make some kind of sense if the resident does not have control over maintenance. Brian

Its clearly daft as obviously, a fire in the electricity cupboard may well cut the supply. To be honest, overkill comes to mind and a lack of evidence to back it up. Brian

That is the whole problem with legislation today though. for example its been illegal for the NHS to refuse reasonable alternative format communication with blind patients, but they still send printed paper to a good70 percent of those who have asked. No policing means no enforcement means no incentive to spend the money to comply. Brian

My experience with 10-year lithium batteries in smoke alarms is that they don't last 10 years - more like 5.

Some Scottish electrians are quite excited by the proposal:

Owain

... and Duracell "Procell" 9 Volt batteries last about 4 years, at a fraction of the cost...

Thomas Prufer

The mains interlinked ones usually have a backup battery. Our Firex ones do.

The elderly couple that live next door to me make use of that service. A fire engine turned up the other week to replace their smoke alarms. Seemed a bit OTT.

I had told the couple that I would do it for them but I guess they didnt want to bother me.

Alan

The crews do that sort of job while waiting between fire calls, saves employing staff just to do it, they won't go outside the "patch" they would be covering from the station anyway, so they can still be mobilised to a fire call from the house.

It may depend on the smoke detector type. I have some optical smoke detectors and use fresh Duracell Industrial PP3 (they re-branded Procell to Industrial a few years back). I put date stickers on my alarms on a battery change and all the alarms I have all start chirping after 14 months (I replaced all my alarms, 5 off, at the same time).

My alarms are the same type as BigClive dismantled in this Youtube video (Note whats IN the box is not what is described ON the box)