Electrical Contracting News (ECN) May 2016 | Page 49

FIRE DETECTION & SECURITY

SPECIAL FEATURE

heat alarms in some kitchens. But as the
Code points out, LD3 ‘might not prevent
death or serious injury of occupants of
the room where fire originates’ such as
living rooms. So, installers have a strong
case to encourage landlords to meet the
Code recommendations with more alarms.
Interestingly, current Building Regulations
in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the
Republic of Ireland are all in line with the
Code as well.

Hard-wired and
interconnected
The Code also recommends Grade D
hard-wired, interconnected smoke and
heat alarms with back up power, excluding
Grade F battery-only alarms from all
rented homes. All the national Building
Regulations also match this requirement.
Despite this, the 2015 Rental regulations in
England do not distinguish between battery
and mains alarms, leaving the decision up
to each landlord. Increasingly, responsible
landlords are choosing interconnected,
hard-wired mains smoke alarms with
back up power which are already a
legal requirement for all Scottish rented
properties. And it is important to remember
that battery-only smoke alarms are not
permitted where Building Regulations apply
anyway, such as new builds or changes of
use, whether owner-occupied or rented.
In such cases, the Building Regulations
overrule the Rental Regulations.
Hard-wired smoke and heat alarms
should always be interconnected so
that all the alarms sound when one is
triggered. But there are both practical and
aesthetic reasons to avoid interconnect
cabling in existing homes. Here, wireless
interconnection is an ideal solution, with
each alarm simply powered from a lighting
circuit nearby. Some wireless alarms
also offer additional facilities using extra
accessories, for example a remote switch
to control an alarm that might otherwise
be difficult to access. This is particularly
useful for elderly or disabled people, or
where alarms are fitted on higher ceilings.
One important aspect of the Rental
Regulations is the legal requirement
for working alarms at the start of every

Hard-wired smoke and heat alarms should always be
interconnected so that all the alarms sound when one is triggered.

The new Regulations call for a smoke alarm on each floor where there is accommodation.

“

SYSTEMS CAN AUTOMATICALLY
ALERT OCCUPANTS THROUGHOUT
THE PROPERTY OF THE SPECIFIC
HAZARD THAT CONFRONTS THEM.

tenancy. With hard-wired alarms, this has
implications for the back up power supply
that, ideally, would operate throughout
the whole alarm life, so also avoiding
low-battery warnings. This can be satisfied
by the latest generation of long-life lithium
battery back up alarms at a much lower
price than rechargeable products. There
may also be situations where battery-only
smoke alarms can provide quick, simple
protection, particularly where no alarms
are present at all in an existing building.
With this in mind, the latest generation
of long-life battery alarms, with a full 10
year guarantee covering both the alarm
and sealed-in lithium battery can also help
landlords in England meet their obligations
for working alarms.

Carbon monoxide alarms
The same requirement for a working
alarm at the start of every tenancy applies
to CO alarms as well under the ‘Smoke
and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England)
Regulations 2015’. But the Rental
Regulations only require a CO alarm in
habitable rooms with solid fuel heating
appliances. In contrast, with Statutory
Guidance taking effect on 1st December
last year, private rented properties in
Scotlan