Smoke Alarms and Detector Installation Southend
Installing smoke alarms is one of the most critical things you can do in your home.
We have in-depth knowledge of all types of smoke and heat alarms and can advise you on the appropriate heat or smoke alarm for your home. BR1 Electrician Southend can install a variety of brands, but ‘Aico’ is our recommended provider for heat and smoke alarms since it meets our product criterion of high quality, proven goods.
Mains-powered smoke and heat alarms with battery backup are the most popular in household properties. They need a steady 230v supply, which might come from their own circuit or a local lighting circuit. Grade D and E are the most common configurations, with Grade F being used for battery-powered alarms. A qualified electrician should install mains-powered smoke/heat alarms, and a NICEIC certificate should be issued. This ensures the safety and effectiveness of your smoke alarm installation.
BR1 Electrician Southend highly recommends the ‘Electrical Safety First’ website if you are a landlord, a renter, or simply want additional information on fire safety, including smoke alarms. It’s an excellent website with a wealth of important information.
Choosing a Smoke Detector
Which alarm sensor should be installed where?
There are many different types of fire alarms, some with heat sensors and others with smoke sensors. We’ve put up a guide below that explains the various types of alarm sensors available and which alarm is best suited to each use, so you can avoid irritating false alarms and get the best protection possible
Here’s our guide to picking the correct alarm for each part of your home. The two houses below display colour-coded rooms that demonstrate which sensor types are ideal for each part of a typical home. The layout on the left uses multi-sensor fire alarms, whereas the layout on the right uses single sensor alarms.
Multi-Sensor
Optical and heat sensors are used in multi-sensor alarms to detect both smoke and heat. They usually respond best to all forms of fires, from fast burning to slow smouldering. Multi Sensor Alarms also automatically monitors both sensors, practically eliminating the danger of nuisance alarms.
Hallway, landing, living room, dining room, and bedrooms are the best places to install multi-sensor smoke alarms.
The Mains Powered Multi-Sensor Fire Alarm – Ei3024 is recommended by BR1 Electrician Southend.
Sensors based on light
Optical smoke alarms detect smoke using an infrared beam. Smoke from slow, smouldering fires, such as electrical fires, is detected by them.
Hallway, Landing, Living Room, and Dining Room are the best places to install optical smoke alarms.
The Mains Powered Optical Smoke Alarm – Ei3016 is recommended by BR1 Electrician Southend.
Heat Detectors
Heat alarms sensors use a thermistor to detect temperature changes and are ideal for kitchens because they won’t cause nuisance alerts from cooking odours. The trigger level for heat alarms is set to 58°C. Heat alarms should not be utilised in any other areas of a home since they will not give the necessary response time; instead, smoke alarms should be used.
Install heat alarms in the kitchen and garage.
The Mains Powered Heat Alarm – Ei3014 is recommended by BR1 Electrician Southend.
Sensors that detect ionisation
Ionisation sensors in smoke alarms detect the invisible smoke particles emitted by fast-flaming, clean-burning flames such as beds and clothing using a tiny radioactive source. Ionisation alarms should not be used in or near kitchens since cooking odours can cause false alerts.
Install ionisation sensors in the following areas: bedrooms.
Although we like to recommend and install multi-sensors and optical alarms, BR1 Electrician Southend would recommend – Ei161e for Mains Powered Ionisation Alarms.
Alarms should be networked throughout a property, regardless of sensor type, to ensure that all alarms sound in the event of an activation, giving audibility for the occupants. Alarms can be wirelessly networked utilising Radio Frequency signals using RadioLINK, reducing the time and inconvenience caused by running cabling between the alarms.
Alarms that are linked or interconnected
Many household smoke alarm installations, including heat alarms, are required to be interlinked to fulfil today’s standards and criteria, which means that if one alarm is activated, all the alarms put on the same circuit are also heard. Radio frequency radio bases can also be used to retrofit an interlinking system.
Aico RadioLink + Ei100MF is a product that BR1 Electrician Southend recommends.
RadioLINK+ is a wireless connector system that employs radio frequency (RF) impulses to wirelessly connect alarms with additional functionality. Interconnecting alarms is required by British Standard BS 5839-6:2013 so that inhabitants can hear the alert throughout the property.
Wireless connectivity is beneficial for a variety of reasons:
Which smoke alarms should I get and where should I install them?
There is a common rule for smoke alarm placement, which is outlined below:
