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There’s no doubt smoke alarms save lives.
By giving you and your family early warning of fire, a smoke alarm can give you precious time to evacuate your home and take shelter. Without them, your chances of dying in a house blaze are increased threefold. Not only are smoke alarms compulsory in South Australia but you also need to have them installed before you can sell your house or unit.
Modern smoke alarms are better made, have longer battery life, and are more reliable than those of a previous generation. But, which do you choose with all the different types of devices on the market? Where should you place them? How many do you need?
What type of smoke alarm do you need?
South Australia law states that the type of smoke alarm you require depends on when you purchased your home or the age of your home. A replacement battery powered smoke alarm is required in homes or residential properties bought before 1 February 1998. However, those bought on, or after, this date need to have a 240 volt, 10 year guaranteed, mains-powered smoke alarm installed.
There are a number of different types of smoke alarms on the market.
- Photoelectric — Considered by Choice Magazine to be the best design for homes, photoelectric alarms work by shining a light beam away from a photo cell in the alarm. Tests run by Choice have shown it to be far quicker in detecting smoke in the house and the lithium ion battery will last for ten years. Some photoelectric manufacturers claim these smoke alarms also reduce the number of false alarms.
- Ionisation — These alarms contain a small amount of radiation which reacts to particles emitted in a fire. Indeed the ionisation smoke alarm will work best in detecting flame rather than smoke.
- Standard battery — Smoke alarms from previous generations were simply powered by standard batteries. Though still available, these have a limited life span and require regular maintenance and annual battery changes.
- Combined photoelectric/ionisation — Known as dual sensor alarms, these combine the benefits of both photoelectric and ionisation types.
Ensure the smoke alarm conforms to Australian standards. Look for the Standards Australia certification. Please note that hard-wired smoke alarms must be installed by a registered electrician.
Where should the smoke alarms be installed?
Proper installation of smoke alarms is crucial. You may need more than one smoke alarm depending on the size of your house. Install a minimum of one smoke alarm per level, preferably in all occupied bedrooms and hallways. An ideal position is on the ceiling between living and sleeping areas.
Avoid placing smoke alarms in kitchens, however, try placing them in adjoining rooms to detect fires from these areas.
Smoke alarm maintenance
Whichever your favoured type of smoke alarm, regular maintenance is important. Monthly testing by pressing the test button is recommended, according to the South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service. They also recommend cleaning around the alarm at least every six months to remove dust and cobwebs and replacing the device after a decade. Alarms with standard batteries should be changed every year or when the low battery signal (a loud chirrup sound) is heard.
Smoke alarms are one of the most important accessories in the home. Their prices can vary, but as a baseline, $50 will purchase a quality photoelectric smoke alarm that will give you protection (and peace of mind) as you — and your family — sleep at night.
Looking for quality and experienced Adelaide electricians to install your hard-wired smoke alarm? TPR Electrical specialise in Adelaide smoke alarm installation to make your home fire-safe.