Smoke Detectors/Fire Alarms - linked pair of FireAnglel WST630

[David Wade]

Gentlemen,

I currently have a linked pair of FireAnglel WST630 which seem to become unlinked from time to time and then bleep away untill reset.

Any suggestions for replacements?

Dave

[John Rumm]

Wired or wireless?

I have always had decent service from the aico kit, but I run all mine wired.

[David Wade]

Hi John,

I need wireless. I originally had mains powered which I was led to believe were wire linked, but when I had RCDs installed they tripped the RCDs. I found they were using a live from one lighting circuit and the neutral from another, so I replaced them with sealed battery wireless linked.

So having looked at the wiring I believe I can used mains powered wireless linked, but I would like the option to add battery/wireless to the system later.

Dave

[Mike Humphrey]

Using a "borrowed neutral" like that will trip the RCD even with wireless alarms. You'll need to sort that out and get live and neutral from the same circuit to each alarm - though the advantage of wireless linking is that different alarms can be on different circuits.

I've got Aico alarms too - the 3024 etc. Very easy to install, and no batteries to replace. Seem reliable enough so far. But mine are wired - pretty easy to do as I'm in a bungalow with easy access to the loft. The wireless modules are rather pricey, on top of the alarms which aren't cheap in the first place. Biggest advantage I've found is something quite small - the control switch (EI1529RC). It gives you silence and test switches without climbing on steps, and "locate" which silences all the alarms except the one detecting, which is handy when you can't see what set them off.

I wouldn't bother. Getting up in the night to change batteries is a pain. Remember that with wireless alarms you can take power from anywhere - a fused spur from a power circuit is fine if there's no convenient lighting circuit.

Mike

[David Wade]

That was the plan, use mains alarms with wireless linking, but put in a new feed from the lighting circuit. Its a bit of a pain as the lighting isn't spurred in the ceiling roses, but in junction boxes above the switches, and I will have to put the alarm in a different place

I was going to use something like the AICO EI650RF which has a 10-year sealed for life battery. I have a loft conversion and getting into the space above the top landing looks an "interesting" challenge but it looks as if the EI650RF isn't compatible with the Wireless Module for the 3024...

[John Rumm]

The loft is converted here as well - however a bit of lateral though and a set of cable rods made it doable. There is a small triangle of space in the apex of the roof above the landing. So by taking down the existing lights, and chopping out a section of plasterboard that is normally hidden by them, I was able to get access along the main axis of the house to do the ones upstairs, then working from a small crawl space at the eves was able to slide a rod up against the back of the ceiling plasterboard between a set of rafters to get the connection up into the space.

Ran 3&E for all connections, and stuck a test/hush/identify switch in the cupboard beside the CU. Powered from a dedicated circuit.