My two bedroom flat has a fire alarm in the lobby and a detector, also in the lobby, for the centralised system for the whole block of flats. Is that sufficient? I have just had an electrician change my fuse box and he recommends "Supply and install new smoke alarms, comprising of 1 x smoke alarm in the lobby + 1 x smoke alarm in the living area + 1 x smoke alarm outside the kitchen + heat detector in the kitchen: £490". Is that necessary?
What fire alarms do I need in my flat?
- Thread starter Arbu
- Start date
Any early warning of smoke/fire could save your life …is your life worth £490 ?
Is that quote for putting in hard wired alarms or have they specified battery operated alarms ? The centralised detector will already be hard wired and if any one in the block goes off they all go off and you may find that the responsibility for those is with the Leaseholder. You can add your own smoke and heat detectors very easily and relatively cheaply so that quote seems very excessive to me.
So keep getting more alarms ad infinitum since every new one might save my life if the previous ones fail?
The responsibility for the centralised detector is with the freeholder and not an issue.
I think that the electrician is suggesting putting these alarms in in conjunction with some bonding work that I need him to do, so the intention is that they will be hard wired, although he doesn't say this in his quote.. I'm inclined to tell him not to bother with them. It might be nice not to have to bother changing the batteries, but at the cost of all that wiring (where's it going to go, across the ceiling, or does it come from the ceiling light fittings?), I'm inclined just to fit my own battery powered ones. The batteries last quite a long time I believe.
Where in the UK is this dwelling? Rules is different in different places. The Scottish Regs are the most stringent and would likely be 'best practice' everywhere. https://www.mygov.scot/home-fire-safety
One can buy 10 year life battery RF (wireless) interlinked units and self-install (if able to do that physically).
Even mains wired alarms need replacing every 10 years due to the detectors 'lifetime'.
Unless the quotation specifies mains wired interlinked assume they are not. Also assume they don't have 10 year backup batteries (lifetime of the alarms), so will need them replaced annually. Wiring through ceilings is likely quite disruptive and require plastering/repainting on top?
NB 3x optical smoke and 1x heat alarms with 10 year battery and RF interlink are around £110 from Safelincs https://www.safelincs.co.uk/hispec-rf-pro-range-sealed-battery-wireless-3-smoke-1-heat-alarm-kit/
Mains wired interlinked with alkaline backup batteries are only £87 but need batteries replacing annually) with 10 year batteries they would be £171 (Kidde alarms also from Safelincs).
One can buy 10 year life battery RF (wireless) interlinked units and self-install (if able to do that physically).
Even mains wired alarms need replacing every 10 years due to the detectors 'lifetime'.
Unless the quotation specifies mains wired interlinked assume they are not. Also assume they don't have 10 year backup batteries (lifetime of the alarms), so will need them replaced annually. Wiring through ceilings is likely quite disruptive and require plastering/repainting on top?
NB 3x optical smoke and 1x heat alarms with 10 year battery and RF interlink are around £110 from Safelincs https://www.safelincs.co.uk/hispec-rf-pro-range-sealed-battery-wireless-3-smoke-1-heat-alarm-kit/
Mains wired interlinked with alkaline backup batteries are only £87 but need batteries replacing annually) with 10 year batteries they would be £171 (Kidde alarms also from Safelincs).