Smoke , heat detectors hard wired or battery powered ok?

Landlord Discussion New Laws & Regulation Changes
1

Refurbishing bathroom at the moment. One of the electrician came to check bathroom work and suggested that we should have hard wired smoke detector!

Flat is in purpose build building - solid walls (not studs), solid ceiling!
We may be able to take it from behind the coving…

My question is

  • is hard wired needed ? Is law coming soon that will it mandatory ?
  • Is it ok to take it from behind the coving??

THanks !!

2

I am no electrician but I am certain you can use battery operated smoke alarms. Just make regular inspections to make sure they are working.

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3

Because it’s a money earner for the spark of course! Hard wired is good but still need checking as regularly as battery. And you’ll need to replace the sensors in them at some point as they don’t last forever. Main advantage is that tenants can’t remove or fail to replace batteries.

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4

14 hours ago I posted guidance on this linked to gov uk but it hasn’t been approved by the mods yet :frowning:

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5

Best read this

I think Scotland might have different rules

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6

thanks

so battery powered are ok

do they need to linked ?

7

AFAIK, if you want interlinked, you’ll have to go mains powered anyway.

I’d be asking myself why I’m compromising on a system that could save my entire investment going up in smoke… Or even result in someone’s death.

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8

Aico do battery units that have RF for inter connectivity and lithum batteries meaning they should last 10 years.

There are cheaper units but they are not as reliable nor last as long

Best are mains IMHO

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9

We have put in wireless interlinked when updating properties but not replacing carpets. They seem a reasonable option.

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