Where should you have smoke alarms?
Ensure your home is as safe from fire as possible
A properly functioning smoke alarm system is key to ensuring safety in your household. Make sure that in the event of a fire, you and your family are alerted immediately to maximise the chance of a safe evacuation.
With major adjustments to legislation in Queensland as of 2017, the importance placed on smoke alarms and their installation is at an all-time high.
Alltronic has already covered the Queensland Smoke Alarm Legislation, though prior to reading on, we must remind you that ALL smoke alarms installed in Queensland after January 1 2017 need to be of the photoelectric type.
Furthermore, we’ve included an extract from the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services’ legislative outline :
When it is time for your property's alarms to be upgraded, those alarms must:
- be photoelectric and comply with Australian Standard 3786-2014
- not also contain an ionisation sensor; and
- be less than 10 years old; and
- operate when tested; and
- be interconnected with every other ‘required’ smoke alarm in the dwelling so all activate together.
- Any existing smoke alarm being replaced from 1 January 2017 must be a photoelectric-type alarm which complies with Australian Standard 3786-2014.
If a smoke alarm which is hardwired to the domestic power supply needs replacement, it must be replaced with hardwired photoelectric smoke alarms.
In existing domestic dwellings, it is possible to have a combination of smoke alarms (240v and battery operated) and interconnectivity can be both wired and wireless.
“Why should smoke alarms be interconnected?”
Great question. To put it simply, it’s a vital safety measure. When all smoke alarms on the premises are connected, either wirelessly or hardwired, all of them are activated when one of them detects smoke. This enables a warning to occupants as early as possible, maximising the chance of a safe evacuation.
Please remember that a fully-qualified electrician should only perform interconnecting smoke alarms. Get in touch today by calling 07 3353 3248, or by completing a booking form.
Smoke alarm installation location
As for where you should have smoke alarms, the legal guidelines in Queensland are relatively straightforward, and we advise you to carefully adhere to these standards, as a correct practice could save not only you a significant sum of money but also a life.
Per the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, included are the following instructions with regard to the location of smoke alarms on your premises:
Smoke alarms have to be installed on EVERY storey of your dwelling in:
- All bedrooms
- All hallways
- Hallways which act as a gateway to the rest of your dwelling
* if there aren’t any bedrooms on a storey, at least one smoke alarm must be installed in the most likely path of travel to exit the dwelling.
When possible, all smoke alarms MUST be placed on the ceiling.
Where smoke alarms MUST NOT be placed:
- Within 30cm of a corner of a ceiling and a wall
- Within 30cm of a light fitting
- Within 40cm of an air-conditioning vent
- Within 40cm of ceiling fan blades
The reasoning behind the particular location of alarms is to ensure their optimal operation. If possible, avoid installing alarms:
- In dead air space
- Near windows, doors, fans, or air conditioners
- In the general vicinity of your bathroom; steam can cause false alarms
Smoke alarm experts in Queensland
If you have any questions about the information on this page, or would like to talk about updating your smoke alarm system to comply with the new Queensland smoke alarm laws, fill in a contact form or call us at 07 3353 3248.
Resources used:
https://www.qfes.qld.gov.au/community-safety/smokealarms/Pages/existing-properties.aspx
https://www.qfes.qld.gov.au/community-safety/smokealarms/documents/QFES-InfoSheet-SAInstall.pdf