Smoke Alarms (Scotland)

[pc1966]

Today I got a flyer in the post which stood out from the usual crap - from Aico telling me how my home must have interlinked alarms from Feb 2021.

And this got me wondering, I don't think I know anyone with such a system. OK I have not been in many other hoses for most of 2020 for obvious reasons, but I really doubt that all homes in Scotland will have such alarms by Feb 2021, except perhams for rented property and ones just being sold/surveyed. Last time i perused a DIY store I think the majority were the usual stand-along battery ones.

So I just wondered if any Scottish sparks can say how common they are now? And have they seen growing work to fit them as this date looms on the horizon?

 

[stewartrossinv]

I'm not a sparky, just a former electronics engineer with C&G 16th edition regs pass from twelve years ago, so can't say about the trade side, but it is indeed true that the law in Scotland will require fully interlinked systems by Feb 2021. I've just finished installing mains powered and interlinked alarms (made by Aico as it happens...) to replace my battery smoke alarms as part of a general upgrade of my home installation, so I'm slightly ahead of the legislation. Can't see how it can be enforced on all homeowners in Scotland. Link to Scottish Government advice follows:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/fire-and-smoke-alarms-in-scottish-homes/

-Stewart

 

[Rockingit]

Interlinked can be radio, not hard wired. In Scotland.

 

[DefyG]

Think Aico are doing a 10yr lithium powered WiFi 'linkable' system that could make hard wired/RF systems redundant!

 

[Mike Johnson]

Most of Aico's alarms do not need to be hard wired to interlink them, they have what they call "RF mesh architecture", not WiFi as far as I know, the problem comes if you have 3000 series alarm's that have to be mains powered to keep the battery charged, even though they say 10year battery life, that only applies if its mains connected, the battery will power the unit for four months if I remember correctly, don't know about the other series of alarms as I have only dealt with the 3000 series.

 

[pirate]

It will be difficult to police the compliance with the new regs, but rented properties already had to comply, the difference now being that wireless linked units will be ok. The next stage will be that if a house is to be sold, the Home Report, which is a statutory requirement in Scotland, will flag up if the house complies with the new regs. They did this with EPCs years ago, whereby rentals and sale properties had to have one. As to ensuring compliance in the majority of houses, I can't see how this would work, although it may become a requirement of your house insurers.
A couple of weeks ago Tesco put up a big display of Fire Angel smokes/heat/CO alarms in my local store, and a friend sent me a pic of this asking for advice on the new regime. The smoke and heat alarms were priced at £32 and the CO ones at £14, which seemed very inexpensive, but he didn't send me the exact model numbers but just said they could be interlinked. At that price I suspect they will need to be hard-wired, not radio-linked. Anyway, if Tesco are selling them it seems that people will become more aware.
The charity I do work for has already received a number of requests for assistance on this matter, and I personally have half a dozen jobs booked in for when I return to Scotland. My concern is that this will be a chance for cowboys to scare old folks into paying loads of money for not much work, and possibly overcharging for cheap, basic alarms and passing them off as compliant.