Worth Moving Light Off Smoke Alarm Circuit?

[Skyhigh]

Turns out that our bedroom light (8 x 5w LED downlights) is wired into the smoke alarm circuit - as labelled on our RCD.

Looking online it seems that this is OK in a domestic setting, where the smoke alarms have a backup battery, etc.

Is it worth re-wiring them so they run on the actual upstairs lighting circuit?
Or am I just making more work for myself?

(All the wiring is in the loft, easily accessible. En-suite light and extractor also appear to be on the smoke alarm circuit)




Cheers,

 

[kai]

It may be wired like that, so that you have a means of telling that the smoke alarm circuit is functioning. Building regs approved document B does state that a mains smoke alarm may be wired into a regularly used lighting circuit for the reason already given. The LED's are such a low current device, it does no harm on that circuit which may even be on a B3 breaker!

 

[EFLImpudence]

Change the label so that it indicates the things on that circuit.

 

[Skyhigh]

I'll go with changing the label on the consumer!

I just wanted to check that although technically it's OK, there wasn't a general recommendation to keep the smoke alarms separated. Fair point with having the lights on the circuit to tell if the circuit is functioning.



Cheers,

 

[JohnW2]

I just wanted to check that although technically it's OK, there wasn't a general recommendation to keep the smoke alarms separated. Fair point with having the lights on the circuit to tell if the circuit is functioning.

For what it's worth, and for the reasons given, my personal view is that in relation to anything 'important', whose loss of power could easily go unnoticed (smoke alarms, intruder alarms, freezers, {in my case a sump pump in the cellar} etc.), it is best not to have them on their own dedicated circuit. Far better, IMO, to have them on a circuit which supplies living area lights or the main TV - the loss of either of which will not go unnoticed for long!!

Kind Regards, John

 

[kai]

In my present house, the freezer and smoke and C02 alarms share a circuit, so that the reassuring bright green LED's of both the Smoke and CO2 alarms, both upstairs and downstairs, tells me that the freezer circuit is in working order.

 

[JohnW2]

In my present house, the freezer and smoke and C02 alarms share a circuit, so that the reassuring bright green LED's of both the Smoke and CO2 alarms, both upstairs and downstairs, tells me that the freezer circuit is in working order.

As I've said, I'm less than convinced about that sort of visual 'alarm' indication, particularly when the indication of an 'alarm state' is the absence, rather than the presence, of a light. Realistically, how quickly do you think you would notice that one of those LEDs was not lit. There are various neons on things all around my house, but I'm sure that some of them could have been off for weeks before I would realise that there had been a change!

Kind Regards, John

 

[EFLImpudence]

Put it on the same circuit as the telly.

 

[JohnW2]

Put it on the same circuit as the telly.

Indeed so. As I said ...

... Far better, IMO, to have them on a circuit which supplies living area lights or the main TV - the loss of either of which will not go unnoticed for long!!

Kind Regards, John

 

[Risteard]

C02 alarms

You sure?

 

[Risteard]

People need to read the relevant Standard - BS 5839-6:2013.

Look specifically at clause 15.5 (a) (ii).

 

[JohnW2]

People need to read the relevant Standard - BS 5839-6:2013.

That costs money - or (before stillp reminds me!) a half-day outing to an appropriate public library.

Look specifically at clause 15.5 (a) (ii).

Could you perhaps share at least the gist of it with us?

Kind Regards, John

 

[Risteard]

Look specifically at clause 15.5 (a) (ii).

Could you perhaps share at least the gist of it with us?

It states that a separately electrically protected regularly used local lighting circuit may be used to supply a Grade D system (provided that there is a means of isolation from the circuit for the smokes (e.g. the slide on bases for Ei Electronics alarms)).

 

[JohnW2]

It states that a separately electrically protected regularly used local lighting circuit may be used to supply a Grade D system (provided that there is a means of isolation from the circuit for the smokes (e.g. the slide on bases for Ei Electronics alarms)).

Thanks. I think most of us were already aware of that, hence some of the suggestions/advice we've been making . What exactly does "separately electrically protected" mean?

Kind Regards, John

 

[Echo the husky]

As I've said, I'm less than convinced about that sort of visual 'alarm' indication, particularly when the indication of an 'alarm state' is the absence, rather than the presence, of a light. Realistically, how quickly do you think you would notice that one of those LEDs was not lit.