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Fires are one of the most damaging Natural Disasters...
2019 and 2020 saw more than 9,300 buildings and 3,500 homes completely destroyed by residential fires with hundreds of human lives lost as the result of direct fire and smoke inhalation (Australia). In Queensland, the worst fires occur in Spring and early Summer and originate from many sources such as radiant heat, smothered electrical appliances, cooking equipment, smoking indoors, and candles.Â
There are changes to rules regarding fire safety and smoke alarms for residential dwellings in Queensland. The phasing out of ionisation smoke alarms is due to the slower reaction times to fire and smoke. Moving toward photoelectric smoke alarms are proven to be more effective in the domestic home. It is important for the safety of yourself and your loved ones to comply with these new fire safety rules. This article will outline the new standards, as advised by QFES, and give you suggestions on products that meet these guidelines.Â
Rules around smoke alarms:
To put it simply, everyone needs to be changing over to photoelectric interconnected smoke alarms. These must be either a hardwired (eg. 240v) or non-removable 10-year battery-powered type alarm.
The legislation requires smoke alarms must be installed in the following locations:
- on each storey
- in each bedroom
- in hallways that connect bedrooms and the rest of the dwelling
- if there is no hallway, between the bedroom and other parts of the storey; and
- if there are no bedrooms on a storey, at least one smoke alarm must be installed in the most likely path of travel to exit the dwelling.
For new dwellings and renovated dwellings, these smoke alarms must be interconnected. This rule applies to all domestic dwellings, leased or sold, as of 2022 and applies to all other domestic dwellings from 2027.
Who is responsible?
Renters and Landlords:
The landlord/lessor is responsible for a test and clean for each smoke alarm within 30 days before the start of a tenancy. During the tenancy, the tenant is responsible for the test and clean every 12 months. This can be done by pressing the 'test' button and cleaning as per the instruction manual which is usually just vacuuming. Sometimes a real estate will organise for an outside company to undertake maintenance at the landlord's expense.Â
Types of smoke alarms:
As we've read, there are two types of smoke alarms, one that connects to mains power (240v) and one that is operated by a sealed 10-year battery; and they must interconnect with each other.Â
Battery Powered:
Battery-powered smoke alarms need to be sealed so that they aren't accessible via the user. This means that the battery does not need to be changed during the life of the smoke alarm. For example, the Emerald Ranger uses a 10-year lithium battery that is sealed into the unit! Another great example is the Ongard smoke alarm from Garland, which can identify the source among interconnected alarm clusters!
240v Mains Powered:
240v smoke alarms need to be hardwired into mains power by a licensed electrician and will have a battery backup within the unit. In most cases, the battery backup is charged by the mains power. In some cases, a mains-powered smoke alarm will come in a variant of how long the battery backup will last. For example, the Emerald Vulcan 240v smoke alarm comes with a one-year battery backup, as well as a 10-year battery version. This means the one-year battery backup will need to be changed annually, and the 10-year battery will last the entire life of the fitting (10 years). Battery backups are available on our website, feel free to contact us to make sure you are getting the correct battery for your model.
Connecting 240v and Battery Powered:
In most cases, you can interconnect battery-operated and 240v models using an RF base. For example, if you are wanting to connect the R10RF by Red Smoke Alarms to a 240v model/s, you will need to connect the 240v model/s to an RF base:
When you should change your smoke alarm?
All smoke alarms need to be replaced every 10 years regardless of testing in order to be compliant to ensure the sensor and all parts of the smoke alarm are operating at an optimal level. All smoke alarms within the dwelling must be interconnected. It is important to ensure all smoke alarms are compatible. We suggest sticking to the same brand of smoke alarm and remain consistent throughout the dwelling.
