Your smoke alarms need to be well-placed and in a working condition to be able to be effective and be capable of saving lives. Most of the domestic fires that lead to injury or death occur during night time when people are sleeping in absence of a working smoke alarm.
In Western Australia, it is required by law to have mains-powered smoke alarms in homes that are being sold, transferred, rented, or hired. It should be placed in:
Multi-level homes
On each level containing bedrooms
On every other level
Single level homes (on or near ceilings)
In all the hallways leading up to the bedrooms.
In absence of a hallway, it should be in areas near the bedroom.
If your ceiling does not have a mains-powered smoke alarm, even though it is made of concrete, then you can install a lithium-powered smoke alarm for ten years. It can be a non-removable battery.
If you have more than one smoke alarms installed in your home, then the Department of Fire and Electrical Safety recommends that it should be interconnected. For all the homes and dwellings that got their construction approval after May 1st, 2015, it is required by law to interconnect the smoke alarms. It means that when one of the interconnected smoke alarms detects smoke, the alarm will ring.
It is also recommended to install smoke alarms in every bedroom, more so when children or people will be sleeping with a closed door. It means that the asleep person will hear the smoke alarm.
Since the smoke alarms are highly sensitive they may detect day to day household activities and result in false warnings that create a nuisance. So it is advisable to not install the smoke alarms near the bathrooms, kitchen, laundry, heaters, air conditioners, temperature control devices and fans.
A few things to keep in mind w.r.t. Smoke Alarms
Use a licensed Perth electrician to install mains-powered smoke alarms.
As per DFES recommendations, it is preferred to install photoelectric smoke alarms in bedrooms and walkways leading up to the rooms.
Replace the smoke alarms every 10 years.
Maintain the smoke alarms regularly.
Test the smoke alarms every month by pressing the button until you hear the buzzer ring.
Vacuum the smoke alarms to remove the cobwebs and dust accumulated around it, every six months.
Call our team of Perth electricians for all your electrical needs.