Fitting mains powered smoke alarms.

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Hi All

With the upcoming change to the law in scotland that says all smoke alarms need to be interlinked looming on the horizon I've been looking around at interlinked systems and Im wondering. as it is I have mains powered smoke alarms in most of the locations covered by the regs

When I look at mains powered replacements they state that the need to be fitted by an electrician. What I can't seem to find out, is this the assumption that an electrician is required to provide amins connections or would even swapping the existing smoke alarms need to be done by an electrician and signed off?

Also the house currently has a smoke alarm in the kitchen and one in the downstairs bedroom which is accessed from the kitchen. anything that produces the slightest whiff of smoke will set these off. I know the kitchen can be replaced with a heat alarm, but can the same be done for the bedroom?

Grant
 
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You don’t need to do anything as the new law won’t be retrospective.
 
You don’t need to do anything as the new law won’t be retrospective.

Sadly not the case

From the scottish government website
"From February all homeowners will be required to have interlinked alarms under legislation brought forward after the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017. These alarms significantly reduce casualties by alerting everybody in a property to a fire. Most homes will also require a carbon monoxide alarm."

While not illegal, not updating the existing alarms would potentially invalidate home insurance etc.
 
That does seem unlikely even for the People's Socialist Democratic Republic of Scotland.

How long do they give everyone to update their systems?
 
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:LOL:
You don’t need to do anything as the new law won’t be retrospective.
Are you sure? The Scot gov web site says that

By February 2022 every home must have:

  • one smoke alarm in the living room or the room you use most
  • one smoke alarm in every hallway or landing
  • one heat alarm in the kitchen
All smoke and heat alarms should be mounted on the ceiling and be interlinked.

It says nothing about retrospective. It says that in six months time if must be done. laughingly it goes on to say

If you install a mains-powered system rather than sealed battery alarms, this may require a building warrant to be obtained from your local authority verifier before any work starts.


So, 4 Million building warrants to be processed and work completed in less than 6 months?? :LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL:

Anyway, Whinne. Please explain what makes you think the law will not be retrospective ?
 
Private rented and new-build homes must already meet these standards, but from February they will apply to every home in Scotland, regardless of age or tenure.

https://www.gov.scot/news/changes-to-fire-safety-laws/

Last I checked I wasn't living in a tower block with cheap illegal cladding, so I assume someone involved in the decision has a stake in a smoke alarm factory
 
:LOL:

If you install a mains-powered system rather than sealed battery alarms, this may require a building warrant to be obtained from your local authority verifier before any work starts.

So, 4 Million building warrants to be processed and work completed in less than 6 months?? :LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL:

I assume most folk will chuck up sealed battery usints to replace their existing £10 from tesco and never tested smoke alarms
Be hilarious if the councils did get swamped with building warrant requests though.
 
February is only three months away. Good luck.

Thanks

Funnily enough none of the companies who are posting flyers though the door or running full page adds in the papers can be bothered to answer their emails.

Battery powered units seem to be about £80 a pop at the minute, but I'd like to find out if i need an electrician to replace existing mains powered alarms for insurance or some other reasons or since the wiring is already there is it much different to replacing a ceiling rose which I'm happy to do myself
 
When I look at mains powered replacements they state that the need to be fitted by an electrician.
They need to be installed correctly by a competent person. Not necessarily an electrician, although instructions will usually state that as for new installs additional wiring would be required and in some cases a new circuit.
If you already have mains powered alarms, the replacements can use the existing wiring. If they are not already linked via the wiring, the interlink can be wireless.

Also the house currently has a smoke alarm in the kitchen and one in the downstairs bedroom which is accessed from the kitchen. anything that produces the slightest whiff of smoke will set these off.
Heat alarm in kitchens. Optical smoke alarms in other rooms.
Older devices were usually ionisation detectors, which were ultra sensitive to invisible particles created by cooking. Optical ones are not.
 
Whatever. It is still completely unrealistic to update every home in that time. No one will be thrown in jail.
 

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