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kingeri

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My grandma has recently had mains smoke alarms fitted to her house by a local charity. The house is over 3 storeys. Each alarm is fed from the lighting circuit on that floor - i.e. all on different circuits, and the interconnect is a single plus cpc going between the alarms. I have never seen it done this way, normally I've seen alarms connected with 3core+earth. I suppose it may have been done so as not to lengthen one lighting circuit. Is it an acceptable way to do it?
 
Never seen it and never seen any manufacturer suggest this way either.

Taking the supply for wireless like this then ok, but if you are going to run a single to each alarm then its just as east to run a 3 core and cpc.

Someone else may know more though
 
That's what I thought, at the end of the day it wouldn't comply with the installation instructions. I spoke to the 'engineer' who fitted them and he said he didn't want to extend one of the lighting circuits onto two other floors, he said he was concerned with voltage drop. I did point out that voltage drop wasn't an issue at all with the lengths and loads involved, he didn't really have an answer to that!
 
Here how it is they are either wired off a light point on each floor and therefor independant of each other or one is wired from a light point and the the other 2 are wired or looped to this.

Now all 3 are meant to communicate with each other ie one activates and then sets off the other 2 this can only be done in one of 2 ways all wired together or all on seperate circuits but the radio type detectors are fitted
 
Sounds like the interlink has been an after thaught, or an upgraded. The single+E sounds like the interlink trigger to all detectors and is ok to do...but as many have said here, would have been just as easier to pull new 3c+E
Personally I would like to see all detection on one circuit and labeled on th CU as such
 

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