Smoke Alarms in Scotland - New Regulations means a large bill!

Torry_Quine

I hadn't heard about it either. 

[Deleted User]

Hi,

if not installed may affect house insurance renewal.

203846930

Not a clue about this, waiting for the relevant letter through the door.
I have survived in houses for 60 years without a smoke alarm so why do I need half a dozen of them fitted now? at my cost.

Norman_Castle

Petriix said:

You can buy interlinked smoke alarms for around £15 each with a simple diy installation. You don't need to shell out £hundreds at all.

I wonder how many fires will be caused by poor diy installation.

John_

Are the government intending to force entry to people’s houses to check?

If not, I’d completely ignore the new regulations if it were me, and only fit them if I ever came to sell.

MovingForwards

John_ said:

I’d completely ignore the new regulations if it were me, and only fit them if I ever came to sell.

That's my plan too.

Considering hardwired have been a legal requirement in rentals up here for a while, the ex-rental (of 10+ years) I purchased this year doesn't have them, nor a cheap battery smoke alarm. 
It does have a small CO alarm.

Jonesya

Petriix said:

You can buy interlinked smoke alarms for around £15 each with a simple diy installation. You don't need to shell out £hundreds at all.

The low cost interlinked smoke alarms are normally hardwired, so they need connecting to cabling to link them already in place and if that cabling isn't already installed then it is not a simple DIY installation in most houses because those cables need to run under the floor and above the ceiling between rooms and between floors - installing those cables is a difficult job for anyone. Might be ok if you lived in a bungalow.

There are wireless interlinked alarms or wireless interlinked bases for connecting to alarms, but I've never seen any as cheap as £15/each.

They do seem to be coming down in price though - for example, kit of 3 wireless interlinked, AA battery powered alarms with two smoke alarms and a heat alarm for £90 so £30/each. That is more affordable and could be an easy DIY install. 
https://www.safelincs.co.uk/ultrafire-ufub1rf-radio-interlinked-home-fire-detection-essentials-kit/

pmartin86

Literaly the first result on google

https://www.safelincs.co.uk/ultrafire-ufub1rf-radio-interlinked-home-fire-detection-essentials-kit/

Website been around since 2001, plenty of reviews, 90 quid. Hardly see what all the fuss is about, I'm sure half the people on this thread will be the first to moan if their house burns down "Well, it wasn't MY fault..."

203846930

pmartin86 said:

 I'm sure half the people on this thread will be the first to moan if their house burns down "Well, it wasn't MY fault..."

If my house burns down I am hoping to burn down with it as I would have nothing left to live for, part of the reason I don't have smoke alarms.

tberry6686

The problem with these cheap wireless interlinked detectors is that they use standard AA batteries, the Scottish laws appear to say that these cannot be used and must have a permanent 10 year battery.  From the Scottish Government - 

There are lots of different types of alarms available – which ones should I get and where can I buy them?

You can install tamper proof long-life lithium battery alarms or mains-wired alarms.