Safety and peace of mind for you and your family with Smoke Detection

Did you know you lose your sense of smell while you sleep, so the chances of you being awoken by a home fire are very slim.

In NSW 50% of home fires have no smoke alarms installed and this is why it’s critical for you to have your home smoke alarms maintained, tested and installed by a licensed electrician.

In 2006 under the NSW building code regulation, by law all new buildings must be fitted with smoke alarms. The regulation states that smoke alarms must be fitted in every storey of a dwelling that contains a bedroom or in a hallway connected with bedrooms. The building code also suggests not placing smoke alarms next or near to cooking appliances

Experienced, Reliable Smoke Alarm Installers

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What Type Of Smoke Alarm Do I Need?

Ionisation or photoelectric smoke alarms

The photoelectric smoke alarm is the recommended smoke alarm type and its effectiveness in sensing smouldering fires has put it top of the installation list. The smoke alarm is designed with a chamber and inside the chamber it has a light source, when smoke enters the chamber the light disperses sounding the alarm. Most homes contain furniture made from synthetic material and the photoelectric smoke alarm is ideal in a home containing this type of furniture as it will respond quicker to the smouldering fires caused by the material on the furniture.

Other advantages for this type of alarm:

No nuisance sounding while cooking
Does not contain any radioactive gases

At Iffland Electrical we can recommend the installation of a photoelectric smoke alarm(s) which comes installed with a 10 year rechargeable lithium battery, so no need to be changing the battery annually. It can also last up to 3 months alone without mains power connected. This alarm is ideal for detecting smouldering fires.

Commonly asked questions

Where Do My Smoke Alarms Need To Be Installed?

Knowing that we need smoke alarms installed on every floor of a dwelling we always advise trying to install smoke alarms in all bedrooms plus the lounge or dining area of a home. So if we stick to the one smoke alarm per floor level, it is recommended that the smoke alarm be installed outside of your bedrooms, either in hallways or stairways. It is always best to interlink all smoke alarms, so once one smoke alarm triggers the rest should sound also. This is only the case if there is more than one smoke alarm and if your home has been built since 2015, in which case it is required by law to have them interconnected.

Where Not To Install Smoke Alarms

Having smoke alarms installed in the wrong places can produce nuisance alarm and possibly resulting in the smoke alarm becoming faulty. Never install a smoke alarm in or next to a bathroom or laundry, the hot steam from a bath or shower can trigger the alarm. Also the moisture from the laundry can sound the alarm. Smoke alarms should be mounted 3 feet away from ceiling fans as the fan can blow the smoke away from the alarm in the event of a fire.

Windows or sliding doors are another example of smoke been swept away from the alarm due to the draft from windows or doors. Installing smoke alarms next to, or near kitchen appliances is a no go – the kitchen is a common cause for smoke alarms to continually be nuisance tripping.

When Should I Change My Smoke Alarm?

Its a known fact smoke alarms do NOT last forever! A smoke alarm’s components will lose their effectiveness over time due to the build up of dust, insects and electrical corroding. A manufacturer’s date should be located on the smoke alarm and it should also indicate the expiry date. We recommend changing your smoke alarm to the photoelectric type with preferably the 10 year lithium battery included. Your smoke alarm will need to be changed every 10 years. This should be stated on every manufacturer’s smoke alarm. Always ensure you use a licensed electrician to install a hard wired smoke alarm.