Advice on buying a smoke alarm.

[davidmiller]

I thought I'd better replace our smoke alarm. A battery powered one but I thought you guys would know better than most. I had a look on Screwfix and got a bit bewildered by the choices. It's there anything to look or for? Optical etc or compliant with any particular EN standard. And presumably get two alarms? Cheers

 

[Murdochcat]

Aico if you want the best , most reliable brand.

 

[blup]

Optical alarm in lounge and hallway, heat alarm in kitchen. Mine are fire angel but they seem to have a chequered history

 

[Ceraunic]

Another vote for Aico.
They do battery interlinked alarms, so if one goes off , it sets off the others.

 

[Why Not Indeed]

I have Aico in my house. I was able to put new ones in an extension a decade after the originals were installed, and they're still compatible.

 

[jurassic sparkk]

'Fireangel' are pretty good. Mine are still working after 15 years.

 

[aveatry]

'Fireangel' are pretty good. Mine are still working after 15 years.

I thought you are suppoed chane them every 10 years
Another vote here for Aico. I had some fitted with an extension as part of regs required hard wired and connected over 10 years ago and so recently replaced them and even after 10 years the bases are the same fitting which made the job very easy and quick as they just slot and clip on

 

[Murdochcat]

'Fireangel' are pretty good. Mine are still working after 15 years.

Hum. Working when you push the test button but what about in the case of a fire? What is the replace by date on them?

 

[jurassic sparkk]

What is the replace by date on them?

2029.

what about in the case of a fire?

A couple of months ago it did beep when I had a fire in the garden.

 

[jurassic sparkk]

I thought you are suppoed chane them every 10 years

Yes, but mine are still going strong as I replaced the 9V batteries not a long time ago.

 

[aveatry]

wow - you had them 15 years and still got 5 to go, thats a long life. Are you talking about the battery or the unit.

 

[aveatry]

Mine were still working when I replaced them, if I remember I think they were giving out 3 quick beebs which the instructions said they have come to the end of their life span.

 

[Taylortwocities]

'Fireangel' are pretty good. Mine are still working after 15 years.

Have you had a fire though?

That's the only time that you can recommend any product. I always laugh when I buy insurance from Meerkat, etc and then am asked to give a review on TrustPilot etc. Pointless. The time to recommend is when the product has been tested, in action.

I have installed Aico for the last 25 years, never had a problem. Unlike Kidde and FireAngel.

'Fireangel' are pretty good. Mine are still working after 15 years.

FireAngel state their product life is 10 years and they should be replaced at that time.

Your smoke alarm needs replacing every 10 years! Have you checked the date? | FireAngel

As is the case with the majority of our home electrical devices, smoke alarms cannot last forever. Smoke alarm sensors will degrade over time, leading to

www.fireangel.co.uk

Keep setting fire to the garden.

 

[JohnW2]

Have you had a fire though? .... That's the only time that you can recommend any product. ...

If one has knowledge that most/all of a large number of examples of the product have behaved appropriately when faced with a substantial number of actual fires, then that would certainly be a reasonable basic for a recommendation, but ...

I have installed Aico for the last 25 years, never had a problem.

... is that 'recommendation' based on your knowing that most/all of a large number have behaved appropriately in thee face of a substantial number of real fires. If not, you would appear to be contradicting your (reasonable) statement about what should be th basis of a 'recommendation'.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Only one tested in action. Customer with integrated garage that caught on fire. The house was totalled and had to be rebuilt. but they all got out.