Installing a new smoke detector wiring

[robbieee]

Hi!

I am knocking down a load bearing wall in between my living room and dining room. I put in for a building warrant in my local council (Scotland). They have now said i need a wired smoke alarm in the living room.

Can this be wired into the existing lighting circuit? Or would it be best to use the mains circuit from the bedroom above? Or does it need to be a separate circuit all together???

Rob

 

[wingcoax]

Do you have existing smoke detectors? If so link to the nearest one. If not convention is to wire to lighting circuit as this gives an indication if the power fails.

 

[robbieee]

I have a smoke alarm in the hall about 50cm away. But there is a brick wall in the way

Sounds like it needs to be off the lighting wiring.

Thanks for your reply.

 

[wingcoax]

If you have existing detectors they MUST all be linked. Can you get a cable through under the floor above?

 

[robbieee]

If you have existing detectors they MUST all be linked. Can you get a cable through under the floor above?

Oh right didn't know that. I am sure my 2 existing smoke alarms aren't linked.

Does it say in the regs that they need to be all linked?

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

You can use the RF/wireless method.
http://www.aico.co.uk/Mains-Powered-RadioLINK-Alarms.html

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Oh right didn't know that. I am sure my 2 existing smoke alarms aren't linked.
Does it say in the regs that they need to be all linked?

Why have you been told to install additional smokes? they are not a requirement, unless there is a reason for this.

 

[robbieee]

As part of the building warrant approval my local council have said I need a smoke alarm in either the living room or dining room. The building warrant is to knock the wall down between these two rooms and install bi folding doors.

The council have stated I need this smoke alarm and it has to be hard wired. They won't budge on it

 

[robbieee]

You can use the RF/wireless method.
http://www.aico.co.uk/Mains-Powered-RadioLINK-Alarms.html[/QUOTE]

The council have stated they need to be hard wired

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

I think your council are wrong, as I understand Scottish building regs with regards to smokes, they are the same as the English ones, a smoke on each storey is only required and no mention of hard wired!

 

[Gutterball]

if you have to pass through another room to get to an exit you need a smoke alarm in that room.

are the smoke alarms you have now hard wired or battery? if battery you need to replace them with interlinked hard wired ones.

these are recommended http://www.aico.co.uk/

 

[Gutterball]

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/0043/00435251.pdf
look at page 58, although you might want to read all of it.

 

[robbieee]

I have made a very crude drawing of my ground floor. I have a semi detectached house with one hard wired smoke detector in the bottom hall (as shown in the picture) and one in the upper landing.

Smoke detector

• robbieee
• 1 May 2014
• 1

 

[robbieee]

Can anyone comment on whether I need a smoke alarm or not?

 

[Gutterball]

If they say you need it you. Won't get your building warent signed off without it.