Fire & CO Alarms
There is now a compelling argument to recommend electrical contractors to fit hard-wired, interlinked smoke and heat alarms as a
matter of course. In Scotland, this is already a legal requirement in all rented housing, with at least one alarm on each floor.
lFrom previous page
matter of course. In Scotland, this is already a legal requirement in all rented housing, with at least one alarm on each floor, and the UK government is considering similar measures. Registered HMOs also need them to meet local authority rules, which may well extend with the growth of compulsory licensing of private landlords. In existing properties, wireless interlinking
technology can save time and disruption to the building fabric – particularly important with historic, ‘listed’ properties – when interconnecting smoke and heat alarms. For example, by using accessories such as Kidde’s Slick Wireless Alarm Base, intrusive wiring between mains alarms, each powered from an adjacent lighting circuit, can be eliminated. This is also useful for extending an existing hard- wired interconnect installation of the company’s products. And it enables a Remote Test & Hush switch accessory to be used, which is helpful for elderly or disabled people, or where alarms are fitted on high ceilings.
CO alarms in all homes There is also a strong case for encouraging
customers to fit CO alarms in all homes and pressure is growing for mandatory installation in all rented properties. The main difficulty with CO is that the dangers are often far from obvious and it comes from a surprisingly wide
incidents associated with other fuels and types of combustion appliances, including cookers, highlights the urgent need for a better standard than this.
10-year guarantee All the national Regulations and the relevant
British Standard are unanimous in allowing use of either mains or battery-only CO alarms where the battery is designed to operate for the whole working life of the alarm. Here, quality is key to long term, problem-free performance. For example, Kidde’s 10LLCO range of carbon monoxide alarms enjoys a full 10-year guarantee covering both alarm and sealed-in lithium battery. The CO sensors – the key component – are actually tested throughout a 10-year period or longer and Kidde also manufactures its own sensors, allowing tighter quality controls to be applied. The alarms also have an extra End-of-
variety of sources. We simply cannot predict all the possible causes of CO in a home, the actions of occupants and the impact of changes over time. However, CO alarms that provide an audible warning at exposure levels well below those critical to healthy adults can alert occupants – whether awake or asleep – and save lives. The latest guidance on CO alarms in domestic and other residential premises is provided by BS EN 50292:2013. It recommends that, ideally, a CO alarm should be installed in every room containing a fuel-burning appliance (or just outside boiler rooms for audibility) and also in other well-used rooms remote from the appliance, as well as all bedrooms. Where the number of CO alarms is limited, priority should be given to any room containing a flue-less or open-flue appliance and where the occupants spend most time. In addition, rooms with extended or concealed flues passing through should also have an alarm.
Building Regulations throughout the UK and
Ireland all require CO alarms to varying degrees but only with installation of new or replacement combustion appliances – and that excludes those used for cooking. In particular, BS EN 50292’s more rigorous approach contrasts starkly with the 2010 Part J Approved Document applying to England and Wales. This only requires a CO alarm with installation of certain, solid fuel heating appliances, whether as replacements or in new-builds. The continuing toll of deaths and illness resulting from carbon monoxide
18 | electrical wholesaler March 2015
www.ewnews.co.uk
Life/Fault LED and an alarm sounder designed to protect occupants and installers’ hearing when testing, with an initial lower level of sound being generated. Both models are small in size with a slim profile and can be wall- mounted or used free-standing. They are simply activated by the slide-on back plate, so preserving battery freshness until needed, and a tamper resisting self-locking installation system avoids battery theft.
www.smoke-alarms.co.uk
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