Best way to install smoke alarm.

Rodders53

To do the job properly you want to get a set of 10 year lithium battery operated wireless interlinked alarms.

NOT the stand alone heat alarm for Kitchen and optical smokes that you have chosen.  If a fire starts in the kitchen you want the alarms in the bedrooms to alert you to that asap, rather than hope to hear it through at least two closed doors.

https://www.safelincs.co.uk/radio-interlinked-smoke-alarms/ has some examples of such alarms.

Veteransaver

Generally the screws used to affix them only just go into the plaster so very unlikely to hit a cable (screw them in with a screw driver rather than use a drill, it's pretty soft going into plaster). Even less likely to hit a pipe as it wouldn't be normal to lay a pipe across plaster board.

Veteransaver

baser999 said:

secla said:

seems a slightly excessive amount of fire alarms. generally upstairs and downstairs hallways are the norm

Agreed, not sure I’d fit any such alarm in the kitchen unless it’s a big space. Our nearest to the kitchen is about 10ft away at the foot of the stairs and has been known to go off if there’s a lot on the hob. Have learnt to shut the door or open windows 

The newer optical alarms work fine in kitchens in my experience, since fitting one in our kitchen it's never been triggered by a bit of burnt food. They are nowhere near as over sensitive as the old radioactive types.
They can get triggered by steam though, but needs to be a lot

Risteard

mexican_dave said:

@Risteard you have given us some technical information there. What's LD3? Please explain or give us a link to enable us all to understand your advice.

You need to refer to BS 5839-6. This designates Grades and Categories of alarm systems.

Here the minimum would be a Grade D2, Category LD2 system in an owner-occupied dwelling, with a higher standard of Grade D1, Category LD2 required for a rental property.

It's not a matter of simply installing whatever alarms one feels like wherever they decide. There is a specific British Standard for Fire Detection & Alarm Systems, as recognised by Building Regulations.

MACKEM99

Mine are above doors.  Got them from Amazon ..other retailers are available of course.😃 screwed in easily.

Albermarle

Rodders53 said:

To do the job properly you want to get a set of 10 year lithium battery operated wireless interlinked alarms.

NOT the stand alone heat alarm for Kitchen and optical smokes that you have chosen.  If a fire starts in the kitchen you want the alarms in the bedrooms to alert you to that asap, rather than hope to hear it through at least two closed doors.

https://www.safelincs.co.uk/radio-interlinked-smoke-alarms/ has some examples of such alarms.

I bought some mains powered smoke detectors recently ( To replace old ones) . I noticed when searching that safelincs prices were the highest ,and you could buy the same branded detectors significantly cheaper elsewhere. For what it is worth I bought mine from Electricpoint.
For the radio linking I think you normally have to buy a separate baseplate, but yes better to have interlinked alarms, either via the mains wiring, or radio linking is easier for an afterfit and no need for an electrician.

Ganga

Our local fire brigade called one day checking what fire alarms we had fitted ,we have a 10 year battery one fitted on the landing but they fitted another one ( FOC ) in the living room ,the fixed it to the ceiling with a silicone gun and some sort of " no nails " type mastic.  

mexican_dave

The kitchen alarm should be a "heat/flame detector" so it doesn't false alarm when there's a lot of steam from the hob. I think the OP has got a different spec for that room, although I haven't Googled the produce codes.

Lorian

I don't think I've ever drilled a hole in a ceiling to fit an alarm. I just avoid the joists and poke a small hole in the ceiling with a screwdriver then screw in a couple of small plaster board fixings - spiral plugs. Very strong , very quick and low risk.

Phil4432

Realize putting the alarms in bedrooms might sound overkill, I would have thought the same until reading following article.  I think if there are any elderly/vulnerable in the house its worth the £15 (£1.50 per year over 10 years) to fit an alarm in the bedroom.

https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/news/2019-news/march/bedroom-smoke-alarms-are-essential-says-brigade/

Sounds like a screw in plate is best, as a sticker or glue is only as strong as the paint.  But really want to be sure I don't hit a light cable or radiator pipe.