Why interconnected smoke alarms are a better solution

Smoke alarms have been saving lives in the UK for decades; and study after study has shown that a smoke alarm can cut in half the risk of dying in a house fire.

Yet there is always room for improvement. Which is why the introduction of interlinked smoke alarms and fire alarms is helping to make this early warning system a far more efficient and effective life saving device.

For all the lives that smoke alarms have saved over the years, standalone smoke alarms are actually quite limited in their function because, while they can detect smoke and sound an audible alarm, there is a limit to how far this warning sound can travel in a building.  If, for example, a fire broke out in your living room at night while you are sleeping upstairs, the sound of the smoke alarm (when triggered) has to travel through a closed living room door, up the stairs and through a closed bedroom door whilst still having enough audible sound that it can wake you from your sleep. For those who are deep sleepers, this may not be enough to wake you in the event of a fire.

An interlinked fire alarm however can trigger all the alarms in the home when smoke is detected. Regardless of where the fire originated or which interlinked alarm was first activated.  This means that wherever in the home you are, the nearest smoke alarm (because they are interconnected) will trigger and activate in the event of smoke in the house.

Heat, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors

What makes this new technology even more impressive is that heat alarms, smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms can all be interconnected in the same network so that if your homes gas boiler is leaking carbon monoxide, the alarm can trigger the entire network of devices and not just the carbon monoxide alarm located next to the gas boiler.  Carbon monoxide has no smell or taste and can kill if you are exposed to high levels of it.  Having an interconnected alarm system fitted can save your life.

It is becoming legislation that homes in Scotland must have them fitted

The new standards require the following:

• Minimum of one smoke alarm installed in the most commonly used daytime room of the home.
• Minimum of one smoke alarm installed in every circulation room ie. the hallway or landing.
• Minimum of one heat alarm installed in the kitchen.

Homeowners who do not have interlinked fire and smoke alarms fitted after this date and who then suffer from a fire in their home may see their insurance cover rejected. This is an incredibly important new piece of legislation in Scotland.

At HF Fire & Security, we can provide a complete smoke alarm installation service and update your existing fire and smoke alarm systems to meet the new Scottish Government standards.

To find out more, please call us today on 0800 783 9480 or email info@hf-group.co.uk