Smoke alarm advice from an electrician

[robbieee]

My electrician needs to add a new smoke alarm due to a building warrant. He obviously needs to take the feed from my existing smoke alarm I have in the hall. He says as this is so old it probably needs changed as well (Dicon 37ombx). Fair enough. But he wants to source his own smoke detector (at a premium I suppose as well!). I suggested this one:

http://www.screwfix.com/p/dicon-ionisation-alarm-with-9v-battery-backup/81969

But he said these "£12 ones are a pile of ***** and he would never fit that one, he is a select approved electrician"

All of u sparks out there, is this screwfiix one acceptable???

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Nothing wrong with the smoke alarm you have linked to, I have used them myself, they are a bit bulky and you will also require a mounting kit for each one, so you can add that into the equation. So you will looking at about £15-£16 per unit for the ionisation ones, optical and heat will be more expensive.
I would personally go with "Aico" brand as could possibly your electrician and the cost will not be too different.
http://www.aico.co.uk/Mains-Powered-Hard-wired-Alarms.html

 

[robbieee]

If it's £20 or so extra for the job, I will probably go with that. Just want to be armed with the right info when he gives me a price.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Ask him which brand of alarms are being installed, after all it is your property and you have a right to know.

 

[robbieee]

Ask him which brand of alarms are being installed, after all it is your property and you have a right to know.

Will do cheers mate.

When u connect smoke alarms up does that mean when one goes off, they all go off? Or is it they are just on the same electrical circuit?

 

[RF Lighting]

If your existing smoke alarms are over ten years old, you ought to replace them, and mixing and matching different brands of alarm on the same circuit can cause issues too, so it sounds as though the initial advice to replace them all is pretty reasonable.

I always fit aico, as they are much quicker and easier to fit, and have been really reliable units which means no call backs for me.

Presumably the warrant is to cover something like an attic conversion? If so the smokes must be interlinked so that if one detector is triggered, all the detectors will sound.

 

[robbieee]

The warrant is just to knock through a wall between my living room and dining room.

I agree on replacing old smoke alarms, it's just when he says the £12 one I linked to is rubbish....

My current smoke alarms are not interlinked and I have a completed attic convention done from the previous owners.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

When u connect smoke alarms up does that mean when one goes off, they all go off? Or is it they are just on the same electrical circuit?

If they are interlinked, then yes, they could be on the same circuit but not interlinked, which means that one will not trigger any other off.
I believe the requirement is now to have them linked.

 

[robbieee]

Ok so the builder phoned and said the spark said the £12 ones from screwfiix are only for bedrooms and no use. What??? Anyway, said it would be £30 extra for another smoke alarm. Will see what make model it is tomorrow!

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Ionisation for bedrooms.
Optical for hall, landings and front rooms/sitting rooms.
Heat for kitchens.
The ions are the cheaper of the three, you can also get multi sensors that deal with optical and heat and again at a cost.
Optical: mains/battery back up, about £20.00

 

[robbieee]

Great thanks. That clears that up

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

This is the Dicon's optical mains/battery http://www.screwfix.com/p/dicon-photoelectric-alarm-with-9v-battery-backup/84956

 

[robbieee]

So £30 extra that I am being charged seems about right then

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

So £30 extra that I am being charged seems about right then

For the Dicon brand if purchased at screwfix, but I do prefer the Aico and I can get them for around £18-£20, so I would think that others in the trade can also.
But heat and optical are more expensive than the ions.

 

[Gutterball]

I fit nothing but aico http://www.aico.co.uk/ they are reliable quick and easy to fit. have lots of options for fitting and if you need technical support they are excellent. And it's what the local councils recommend to be fitted.

Disclaimer I have nothing to do with this company i just rate there products.