Fire risk domestic house, thoughts on additional smoke detector?

[jwadd215]

Hi all,

This is a cupboard under the stairs of a domestic property, there is a consumer unit and a BT modem which is plugged in.

Outside the cupboard in the main living room is a combined optical smoke and heat detector, is it worth adding an optical smoke detector in the cupboard under the stairs to protect against the risk of a consumer unit fire / bt modem fire?

Thanks.

 

[littlespark]

If it makes you feel safer, then by all means. Its your house.

Depending on the current make of detectors in your home, it may be easy to use a 10 year battery detector, with radio link to the others... or it could be standalone. It doesnt, by regulations, need to be linked... but obviously it would be an earlier warning if they all go off together.

Unlikely the modem would spontaneously burst into flames, and you have a modern metallic consumer unit...
Any problem may arise from what looks like a 45A switch. Is that for a cooker or shower through the wall.

 

[jwadd215]

If it makes you feel safer, then by all means. Its your house.

Depending on the current make of detectors in your home, it may be easy to use a 10 year battery detector, with radio link to the others... or it could be standalone. It doesnt, by regulations, need to be linked... but obviously it would be an earlier warning if they all go off together.

Unlikely the modem would spontaneously burst into flames, and you have a modern metallic consumer unit...
Any problem may arise from what looks like a 45A switch. Is that for a cooker or shower through the wall.

It’s a 50A isolator switch on its own 32A breaker that feeds the 13A front socket which has its own RCBO built in that can be used for car charging, only use it when required for plugging the vacuum in as don’t have an EV, they were all fitted as standard when the houses were built.

 

[littlespark]

New build?

I wonder if anyone here with more knowledge than I could say whether the underside of a staircase is boarded in flame retardant boarding?

I know its an issue with consumer unit under stairs in old properties with just the bare underside of the stairs showing.


Looks like Aico detectors.... according to the sticker on the unit. Can easily be added to with the radiolink detectors and a radio module fitted in one of the others. Which will most likely be mains powered, wired interlink.

Radio module... check it fits the model number of your existing detectors - https://www.screwfix.com/p/aico-smartlink-ei3000mrf-wireless-module/150kj

10 year radio link smoke detector - https://www.screwfix.com/p/aico-ei650rf-battery-interlinked-radiolink-smoke-alarm/542hr

 

[jwadd215]

New build?

I wonder if anyone here with more knowledge than I could say whether the underside of a staircase is boarded in flame retardant boarding?

I know its an issue with consumer unit under stairs in old properties with just the bare underside of the stairs showing.


Looks like Aico detectors.... according to the sticker on the unit. Can easily be added to with the radiolink detectors and a radio module fitted in one of the others. Which will most likely be mains powered, wired interlink.

Radio module... check it fits the model number of your existing detectors - https://www.screwfix.com/p/aico-smartlink-ei3000mrf-wireless-module/150kj

10 year radio link smoke detector - https://www.screwfix.com/p/aico-ei650rf-battery-interlinked-radiolink-smoke-alarm/542hr

Yes, I very much doubt something as sensible as that has been done, the door of the cupboard is standard and not fire rated, no insumescnent seal.

The standards of electrics are poor, I have ripped out almost all the cheap nasty DETA wiring accessories for white Hager Sollysta and replaced the DETA smoke detectors with Aico 3000, all the original sockets were SP.

There were screws left in back boxes, screws clamped down on the inuslation not the copper, fan isolator swicthes with CPC in block rather than to the terminal on the metal back box, copper not cut short enough and sticking out of terminals, 13A fuses in all the FCUs inlcuding for the extractor fans in bathrooms, the breakers for these are 6A, no one had throught to add the most appropriate fuse for what's connected.

Grey acting as neutral with no sleeving, and worst of all, external outside lights metal casing with the CPC not connected to the dedicated terminal on the case, just curled up in the back, cut short and sleeved.

The installation certificate was pretty much all N/A for most of the fields and they didn't put the serial number of the tester used, lazily filled in, typos too, earth leakage was down as 10.14.

I'm thinking to just add a battery radiolink detector under the stairs and pair it to an RF module which I'll add to one of the hardwired ones to link em all.

 

[DefyG]

a combined optical smoke and heat detector

Wasn't aware Aico did a combined smoke and heat! I know they do a combined Co and Heat though.

The consumer unit (BG?) looks to be compliant with latest regs regarding IP rating for fire resistance, so risk there is really minimal, and doesn't required fireproofing under the stairs.

But as LS says;

If it makes you feel safer, then by all means. Its your house.

 

[jwadd215]

Wasn't aware Aico did a combined smoke and heat! I know they do a combined Co and Heat though.

The consumer unit (BG?) looks to be compliant with latest regs regarding IP rating for fire resistance, so risk there is really minimal, and doesn't required fireproofing under the stairs.

But as LS says;

Yeah it's a newer BG Fortress CU, it's been professionally checked and the wiring is quite neat for a new build, all tight.

Yes I've also got the EI3028 combined Heat and CO in the kitchen but Aico now do main EI3024 Multisensor which combines the Heat and Optical Sensors, there is also a battery version EI660i and EI660iRF.