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

georgemcghie

[Deleted User] said:

Hi,

if not installed may affect house insurance renewal.

[Deleted User] said:

Hi,

if not installed may affect house insurance renewal.

An excellent point.  We all know that insurance companies only need a sniff of an excuse not to pay out.  Agree with others that the big incentive for private owners will be when they sell the home report will mean it has to be done.

203846930

Has anyone had any quotes yet for someone to fit fully wired alarms?
I have decided to go that way rather than batteries and also because I have read so many bad reviews when folk have just bought and fitted themselves saying that the units kick off for no reason.

Homer_home

georgemcghie said:

[Deleted User] said:

Hi,

if not installed may affect house insurance renewal.

[Deleted User] said:

Hi,

if not installed may affect house insurance renewal.

An excellent point.  We all know that insurance companies only need a sniff of an excuse not to pay out.  Agree with others that the big incentive for private owners will be when they sell the home report will mean it has to be done.

Its not an excellent point at all

Insurance companies can only refuse to pay out if your failure to install smoke alarms somehow contributed to the house burning down etc i.e. if your house burnt down and you weren't in to hear the alarms they can't refuse to pay out 

Likewise if you do have interlinked smoke alarms and chose to ignore them and turn them off because "they kick off for no reason" and your house burnt down they could refuse to pay out 

Likewise insurance companies can't refuse to pay out if you get burgled just because you don't have interlinked smoke alarms installed

neilmcl

FYI, you can get wireless, interlinked smoke alarms.

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

https://www.fireangel.co.uk/products/wst-630

[Deleted User]

Hi,

looks like there may be a delay in the introduction of the new regulations, read this.

Be_Happy

We had this work done in our retirement complex last week.  Cost £17,000 for 47 flats.  So £361 each.  The existing system was smoke detector in hall, nothing else.  (We were actually able to use £10,000 from our contingency fund, so each owner only had to pay £150)

What we got was smoke detector in lounge and hall, plus heat detector in kitchen.  Thought this would involve cabling, but simply fixed to ceiling so must be wireless.  When tested, noticed that 1 started, followed by each of the other 2 in turn.  Noise was defeaning.

Only problem we see is that automatic message is sent to fire station.  Unlike old alarms where you could turn off accidental activation by waving something in front of alarm, doing this will stop the noise in the flat, but 2 fire engines will turn up!  Think this is linked somehow to our existing emergency call system.

David28

neilmci these alarms from Safelincs that you linked to are not suitable for use in Scotland as they use alkaline batteries.

neilmcl

David28 said:

neilmci these alarms from Safelincs that you linked to are not suitable for use in Scotland as they use alkaline batteries.

It was just an example to show that interlinked, non-mains powered alarms exist but I appreciate the clarification.

bris

If the installation is not correct with the proper alarms then house insurance will be void.

This is a crazy law as tens of thousands of houses will simply not be upgraded to comply.

David28

bris said:

If the installation is not correct with the proper alarms then house insurance will be void.

This is a crazy law as tens of thousands of houses will simply not be upgraded to comply.

I agree, I had just replaced my 10 year old smoke alarms with new 10 year ones at the beginning of the year.
I found that 10 year ones were cost efficient as I didn't have to replace the batteries every year or 2.