Is a professional needed?

[ericmark]

Yes you are correct, the landlord should raise a minor works, however as far as I know he does not need to give a copy the the tenants? So if he delays until after the EICR he can cheat and copy over results, and know one can prove that is what he has done, and anyway it says inquiry is a valid method of finding the readings, so not sure that is not allowed anyway?

 

[ericmark]

Yes you are correct, the landlord should raise a minor works, however as far as I know he does not need to give a copy the the tenants? So if he delays until after the EICR he can cheat and copy over results, and know one can prove that is what he has done, and anyway it says inquiry is a valid method of finding the readings, so not sure that is not allowed anyway?

I'm surprised by saying not to put smokes on the lighting cct. I would have though that would have made sense, then at least if it trips you would know about it.

What am I missing, why would it be a bad idea, and how would they be fed?

Just asking out of interest - when I had my house rewired I didn't ask for smoke detectors, and just fitted battery ones after the event.

Cheers,
Colin

I would agree, if on the lighting then you know if it has failed. And they are all battery backed anyway.

I also did not ask for smoke alarms when mothers house rewired, as it had monitored smoke alarms fitted by the council, however on the death of my mother all the extruder alarm parts including the smoke alarms were removed by council, I wanted to continue to pay the £30 a year, but told it was part of care plan for mother so all removed.

 

[SUNRAY]

I'm surprised by saying not to put smokes on the lighting cct. I would have though that would have made sense, then at least if it trips you would know about it.

What am I missing, why would it be a bad idea, and how would they be fed?

Just asking out of interest - when I had my house rewired I didn't ask for smoke detectors, and just fitted battery ones after the event.

Cheers,
Colin

It's another of those marmite situations, personally I like them on the light circuit [or for that matter any well used circuit] for your reasons.

Anyway don't all mains smoke/fire/co² detectors include battery back up?
Just asking as all I've experience of do have it.

 

[SUNRAY]

Yes you are correct, the landlord should raise a minor works, however as far as I know he does not need to give a copy the the tenants? So if he delays until after the EICR he can cheat and copy over results, and know one can prove that is what he has done, and anyway it says inquiry is a valid method of finding the readings, so not sure that is not allowed anyway?

The detector doesn't need a specific test for the EICR.

 

[ericmark]

The detector doesn't need a specific test for the EICR.

Why should it, does not even need to work, or be there, it may be required for building regulations, but not required to pass an EICR.

 

[333rocky333]

I'm surprised by saying not to put smokes on the lighting cct. I would have though that would have made sense, then at least if it trips you would know about it.

What am I missing, why would it be a bad idea, and how would they be fed?

Just asking out of interest - when I had my house rewired I didn't ask for smoke detectors, and just fitted battery ones after the event.

Cheers,
Colin

I do believe it IS recommended to do so for the reason you say, think its in the on site quide

 

[Colin Brenton]

Thanks folks, interesting stuff

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I'm surprised by saying not to put smokes on the lighting cct. I would have though that would have made sense, then at least if it trips you would know about it.

What am I missing, why would it be a bad idea, and how would they be fed?

Just asking out of interest - when I had my house rewired I didn't ask for smoke detectors, and just fitted battery ones after the event.

Cheers,
Colin

Completely separate circuit, which if it did trip, you would be warned by the detectors that mains power had been lost. They continue to work via an internal battery, bleeping to warm of loss of supply.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I also did not ask for smoke alarms when mothers house rewired, as it had monitored smoke alarms fitted by the council, however on the death of my mother all the extruder alarm parts including the smoke alarms were removed by council, I wanted to continue to pay the £30 a year, but told it was part of care plan for mother so all removed.

Odd! I would have thought the cost of removing them would far outweigh their value, if indeed a used smoke detector has any value at all.

 

[ericmark]

They left the stair lift that cost me to have it taken away, seems no after sale value, the rest they took.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

They left the stair lift that cost me to have it taken away, seems no after sale value, the rest they took.

There are companies which specialise in buying those, 'refurbing' and selling on, but I doubt they pay very much.

 

[johnny2007]

Ok, just to clarify.
When I said landlord I meant the freeholder.
My boy hold the lease of the flat, in other words, he owns the flat and he's a leaseholder.
The freeholder told him he must have sprinklers and mains smoke detectors and linked that to his consumer unit.
Should they give him any assurance/paperwork that it was done by skilled person?
The consumer unit is 2 year old, flat totally rewired at my boy's expense by qualified electrician 2 years ago with paperwork.
Thanks

 

[SUNRAY]

Why should it, does not even need to work, or be there, it may be required for building regulations, but not required to pass an EICR.

That's quite right but if the detector was on it's own circuit, it [the circuit] would require testing but as part of a lighting circuit the detector wiring would not specifically need testing.

 

[SUNRAY]

Ok, just to clarify.
When I said landlord I meant the freeholder.
My boy hold the lease of the flat, in other words, he owns the flat and he's a leaseholder.
The freeholder told him he must have sprinklers and mains smoke detectors and linked that to his consumer unit.
Should they give him any assurance/paperwork that it was done by skilled person?
The consumer unit is 2 year old, flat totally rewired at my boy's expense by qualified electrician 2 years ago with paperwork.
Thanks

There are different rules for different multi occupancy buildings, but my gut feeling [and I stress this is not a statement of fact] if the detectors were compulsory for the freeeholder to install, I would have thought they would have to be a proper fire alarm system with a control panel, typically in the entrance hall.
Any electrical alterations undertaken by a contractor do require documentation to be provided to the owner of the electrical installation and the payment for any such works in this instance should only be requested on production of the documentation.
Some of this will be in the lease agreement but the lease cannot usurp the legal requirements.

 

[flameport]

The freeholder told him he must have sprinklers and mains smoke detectors and linked that to his consumer unit.

A self contained apartment or flat within a larger building is nothing to do with the freeholder, and a smoke alarm connected to the consumer unit in a flat is nothing to do with them either.

If a fire alarm system is deemed necessary for the building as a whole, it would be a single system with detectors, sounders and other items installed throughout the building, not just in a single apartment. It would consist of a central control panel powered from a supply specifically for the common parts of the building and not an individual apartment.

Should they give him any assurance/paperwork that it was done by skilled person?

A minor works certificate for the circuit extension/alteration as specified in BS7671, and a certificate for the smoke alarm installation as specified in BS 5839-6.