Smoke/Heat/CO RF Interlinked alarms Ask questions and find answers to many subjects relating to electrics and electrical work

[saki]

I currently have two mains wired smoke alarms in the hall and 1 mains wired heat alarm in the kitchen. All alarms are cabled together
and are therefore interlinked. I live in Scotland and to comply with new legislation I will need to add a smoke alarm in the main living
area and a CO alarm in the utility room where the boiler is located.

I am guessing it will be a major job to get an electrician to fit new alarms that interlink with existing alarms and am therefore
thinking about removing the existing alarms and replacing them with RF connected units. Can anyone recommend a manufacturer? There seem to be a lot of different ones available at widely differing prices. The least expensive (£180) require a pairing process which looks
like a potential problem to me. Are there alarms available that do not need to be paired? Any other tips are welcome in choosing/fitting these alarms.

[Mr White]

Carbon monoxide alarms are only required where there is a "carbon fuelled" appliance. So that means one near the gas cooker* and one near the boiler* and one near the gas fire* The new regulations do not state that CO alarms have to be interlinked, and it also does not say they have to be mains operated.

Smoke alarms on the other hand must be interlinked (Radio or cable) I would have thought it would be cheaper to get an electrician to install and interlink just one smoke alarm (To the existing ones) than to replace all of your alarms with battery operated interlinked smoke alarms.

As for which ones, you will need the same brand as you already have to interlink another one, or if you do want to change all of them get a recognised brand.

*If you have one.

[saki]

Thanks Mr White. I have read regs again and you are correct the CO does not have to interlink to smoke alarms. That changes the issue. I will get a quote for a new mains one in the living room and to replace the two existing ones from an electrician before considering the RF route.