Home heat/smoke alarms

jimmc9

In Scotland, the law requires us to buy and fix in our homes, smoke, heat and carbon monoxide alarms by February 2022. Is this required UK wide? And can MSE offer advice and best buys?

[Deleted User]

Hi,

you've posted in the Techie Stuff, might get more replies in the My Home/DIY section.

Neil_Jones

jimmc9 said:

In Scotland, the law requires us to buy and fix in our homes, smoke, heat and carbon monoxide alarms by February 2022. Is this required UK wide? And can MSE offer advice and best buys?

This is a law for Scotland only.

You should already have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in the house anyway out of pure common sense, they're either dirt cheap or get given away for free on occasion.  In England it is a legal requirement in private rented properties to have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors installed and has been since 2015 on a rolling basis for new tenancies, with plans to extent this to social housing.

[Deleted User]

It's best practice to do this anyway. Afterall, why wouldn't you? It's not like the safety devices are super expensive. Even hard wired ones are 20 odd quid.

JohnSwift10

Deleted_User said:

It's best practice to do this anyway. Afterall, why wouldn't you? It's not like the safety devices are super expensive. Even hard wired ones are 20 odd quid.

I wish that was the case here in Scotland, you don't get interlinked ones for that price.

The_Fat_Controller

The cheapest I could find were from this company.

https://www.linkedupalarms.com/

I have no interest in the business, just wanted the cheapest option to comply with the new regulations.

googler

[Deleted User] said:

It's best practice to do this anyway. Afterall, why wouldn't you? It's not like the safety devices are super expensive. Even hard wired ones are 20 odd quid.

Why wouldn't you?


Why?  Because I/we already have a mains-wired interlinked 3-detector system fitted, and all the decoration has been done. 

The Govt is specifying that alarms must be fitted in certain rooms, and - of course, they would have to be - these are not the locations where our current alarms are fitted.

So additional hard-wired alarms means finding a way to route the wiring, and that will mean ripping the guts out of walls and/or ceilings. 

This will cost more than "20 quid" once the installation, re-plastering and redecoration is done.

Get the wireless ones, and that leaves us with redundant wiring and holes in the ceilings where the current ones are

Get the hard-wired ones, and we need to repair and redecorate all the new places that are needed to fish the wiring through

Belenus

JohnSwift10 said:

Deleted_User said:

It's best practice to do this anyway. Afterall, why wouldn't you? It's not like the safety devices are super expensive. Even hard wired ones are 20 odd quid.

I wish that was the case here in Scotland, you don't get interlinked ones for that price.

You have the internet in Scotland so you can buy from non Scotland based sellers.

Being in Scotland should not matter unless you are remote and pay extra for deliveries.

[Deleted User]

googler said:

Deleted_User said:

It's best practice to do this anyway. Afterall, why wouldn't you? It's not like the safety devices are super expensive. Even hard wired ones are 20 odd quid.

Why wouldn't you?


Why?  Because I/we already have a mains-wired interlinked 3-detector system fitted, and all the decoration has been done. 

The Govt is specifying that alarms must be fitted in certain rooms, and - of course, they would have to be - these are not the locations where our current alarms are fitted.

So additional hard-wired alarms means finding a way to route the wiring, and that will mean ripping the guts out of walls and/or ceilings. 

This will cost more than "20 quid" once the installation, re-plastering and redecoration is done.

Get the wireless ones, and that leaves us with redundant wiring and holes in the ceilings where the current ones are

Get the hard-wired ones, and we need to repair and redecorate all the new places that are needed to fish the wiring through

Heh,

gadgie, calm down,

so your alarms are not situated according to new regulations, just get wireless, leave what's there, there, no hoking and poking, ach, you'll never notice, chill, breathe in, hold, breathe out, feel better now?

Rodders53

What make and model of alarm do you have?

Some can be adapted to cooperate with extra alarms via wireless linking units from the same maker.  10 year battery wireless interlinked are available.

Depending on the building construction some mains wired interlinking cables can be fed from the existing ones using cable pushers and pullers... and only a small hole (covered by the alarm) may be needed.  But Installation Sparks cost real money.

Your alarms will all need replacement around 10 years after installation in any case.  {had to do mine a year or two ago}.

https://www.safelincs.co.uk/scotland-2022-regulation-smoke-heat-co-carbon-monoxide-alarms/ has suitable alarms for Scotland.

[Deleted User]

googler said:

[Deleted User] said:

It's best practice to do this anyway. Afterall, why wouldn't you? It's not like the safety devices are super expensive. Even hard wired ones are 20 odd quid.

Why wouldn't you?


Why?  Because I/we already have a mains-wired interlinked 3-detector system fitted, and all the decoration has been done. 

The Govt is specifying that alarms must be fitted in certain rooms, and - of course, they would have to be - these are not the locations where our current alarms are fitted.

So additional hard-wired alarms means finding a way to route the wiring, and that will mean ripping the guts out of walls and/or ceilings. 

This will cost more than "20 quid" once the installation, re-plastering and redecoration is done.

Get the wireless ones, and that leaves us with redundant wiring and holes in the ceilings where the current ones are

Get the hard-wired ones, and we need to repair and redecorate all the new places that are needed to fish the wiring through

I was just commenting on the cost of the alarm devices. Wasn’t commenting on the installation cost or the infrastructure of your property. Slight over reaction don’t you think?

Anyway, Merry Christmas 😁