Smoke Alarms

[lighthouse]

Hi

Quick question about smoke alarms.

50 year old house, no alarms.
Internal garage conversion into a study. No change to access or exits for the house.

Building inspector wants 3 inter-linked alarms in the rest of the house
1 on the upstairs landing
1 in the hall way
1 in the utility room, this is where the existing garage door is and will remain the same.

I am ok with alarms etc, but as surprised why these were being required on this build, anyone point to the relevant regulation, not just part B, but where it is?

Any other information would be appreciated as if this is a requirement on all builds like this, then changes things, unless I have missed something.


Many thanks

 

[tazz]

When you alter an existing building by loft or garage conversion, you alter the circulation area or escape route. So you have now made a new area, onto an existing area, which inturn was adjoined the existing circulation area. So you have made a room leading onto a room which leads to a circulation area........hope this makes sense

 

[SirKit Breaker]

without getting into the technicalities, and i am bit out of touch anyway regarding smoke alarms, i can't remember a job that i did similar to what you are doing, going back at least 10 years, where the plans didn't ask for interconnected smokes like you describe. The easy way round it is to shove RF ones in, but you probably know that anyway.

Cheers..........Howard

 

[Octopus]

If the building inspector wants it, we install it and the client pays for it. Simples. Kerching.

 

[tazz]

If the building inspector wants it, we install it and the client pays for it. Simples. Kerching.

Basically yes....but there is logic behind it.

 

[Octopus]

Basically yes....but there is logic behind it.

I quite agree but most builders and tight home owners think they wasting their money!!

 

[tazz]

Well once building control are in ....they have no choice....and it is for their own safety..

 

[Badged01]

I though that unless you were adding habitable rooms above the G/F the BS std didnt require the retro-fitting of smoke/heat alarms? Accepting of course that if bulding control want them the simplest solution is to fit rather than argue .......

 

[uksparks]

I had this very same thing happen where building control wanted three interlinked with the rest of the house. Pain in the --- but it had to be done.

 

[tazz]

As I have tried to explain, the circulation area has been changed, hope may drawing helps

 

[uksparks]

As I have tried to explain, the circulation area has been changed, hope may drawing helps
View attachment 23913

Did you do that on your etchascetch you got for Xmas?

 

[tazz]

yes....Building control love my drawings....lol.....but hope it explains the idea

 

[uksparks]

I feel like I'm a fully fledged architect now looking at mine in comparison... Lol

 

[tazz]

Well my usual Cad drawings for building control is as attached, had to cut company and building names due to copyright
View attachment BDB Ground.pdf

 

[gutterball]

you have to pass thru another room to get to the hall/circulation area/exit so need an alarm linked to other areas.

 

[tazz]

you have to pass thru another room to get to the hall/circulation area/exit so need an alarm linked to other areas.

That`s the logic in it

 

[Piratepete]

Hi Guys
On the subject of alarms, what type should I be fitting in a domestic 2 storey house?
I've always fitted ionisation alarms in landings and hallways, but where the stairs rises from the kitchen area I've fitted a heat alarm (to avoid nuisance alarms).
But, on a recent rewire job, a building inspector said that the heat alarm didn't comply and wanted another ionisation alarm fitted in the living room (ground floor has a living room and a kitchen diner with the stairs rising from the kitchen diner).

I'm now seeing recommendations to fit an optical alarm in the downstairs hallway and an ion type on the landing. Even if I follow this advice, neither the optical or ion types are suitable for kitchen areas.
Confused Pete

 

[tazz]

Ionization are used for detecting smoldering fires, and are suitable for bedrooms and living rooms only, hallways and circulation areas, require optical, to prevent false alarms,

 

[Piratepete]

Ionization are used for detecting smoldering fires, and are suitable for bedrooms and living rooms only, hallways and circulation areas, require optical, to prevent false alarms,

So where part of the circulation area is the kitchen, what would you fit?

Why do the vast majority of houses have ion alarms in their circulation areas and why is our local fire service only giving away ion alarms for circulation areas?

 

[tazz]

because they are cheap and battery operated covering only grade F of the bs5839 part 6