Fire safety. Out of date smoke alarms.

[wafubustard]

Does anyone know if it is a legal requirement that smoke alarms are within the 10 year life when fitted in SFA?

I have replaced the batteries in my smoke detectors and found that they are both marked up as "replace 01/05/16".

I have phoned C Amey and the response I received was that they were tested when the gas safety test was carried out and as they are working what is the problem?

Not quite the response expected regarding life saving safety equipment.
The lady at the other end could not understand that you wouldn't fly in an aircraft with 2 year out of date safety equipment.
Why should I rely on equipment for my family safety which is 2 years out of date and how many other properties are also at risk?

 

[Egg on Leggs]

The requirement is to maintain the equipment which they demonstrably have not done. Your local council housing department have oversight if civvie property.

 

[wafubustard]

Thanks. Married quarter and the fun with getting things sorted with carrilion amey.

 

[Guns]

Photos of them, email copies. Make sure you CC the H&S executive and for good measure your MP. Hell do the press as well.

 

[Egg on Leggs]

The main safety point with these domestic alarms is to realise that pressing the test button only tests that the sounder works, not the detector circuits or sensor. To test this you need to actually introduce smoke into the device.

 

[DeltaDog]

The main safety point with these domestic alarms is to realise that pressing the test button only tests that the sounder works, not the detector circuits or sensor. To test this you need to actually introduce smoke into the device.

By lighting a small fire in your house.

 

[Joshua Slocum]

The manufactures provide a disposal date and clearly mark it on the case for a reason
the unit will have ingested dust and other particles into the sensor that can make it less likely to operate correctly to the origional specification
they never used to put the date on, but after a few failed it was found that relying on the installers to do it was not working as they are oftne in a rush, or bone idle or stupid or all three
if they are Ionization then the chamber has a small amount of Amercium 241, the sides of the chamber become contaminated and the sensor will be outside or it snormal owrking threshold
in the old days we used to clean and recalibrate them, radiation+electricians what could possibly go wrong
optical sensors are mor elikely to fail as dust build up over the sensor could render it unable to see the light source
also the electronic compoenents have a working service life
they are cheap as chips, and replacement usually means sliding a new one onto the locating base after turning off the power
check the manufacture and get a copy of the service manual

 

[Guns]

Also they LIFEX after time as the radioactive thingmebobs degrade. Ten years is the maximum but I would change at 8 years just to be safe. For the cost against my fishing gear burning up (and the family obviously) its not worth it.

 

[Joshua Slocum]

The main safety point with these domestic alarms is to realise that pressing the test button only tests that the sounder works, not the detector circuits or sensor. To test this you need to actually introduce smoke into the device.

Theoretically the test button should simulate a fire by passing a test voltage into the alarm circuity but you are right, it does not test the detection device properly

 

[Joshua Slocum]

Domestic safety issues in local authority and other rented housing - SIM 07/2008/07)

 

[DarkBrig]

Could Scotland be leading the way in fire safety our just interfering with people's lives ?
Smoke alarm rule to apply to all homes

 

[Egg on Leggs]

By lighting a small fire in your house.

Yes, cigarette smoke was least effective, we used cotton thread on a stick. There is commercial test smoke in a pressurised can but cotton is cheaper.......or get my missus round to cook dinner.

 

[Egg on Leggs]

Could Scotland be leading the way in fire safety our just interfering with people's lives ?
Smoke alarm rule to apply to all homes

So, an absolute minimum of two alarms and a CO detector all linked, wonder who will be paying for that.

 

[solomon88]

S, an absolute minimum of two alarms and a CO detector all linked, wonder who will be paying for that.

I guess they want hard-wired mains powered as well?

 

[tommikka]

Does anyone know if it is a legal requirement that smoke alarms are within the 10 year life when fitted in SFA?

I have replaced the batteries in my smoke detectors and found that they are both marked up as "replace 01/05/16".

I have phoned C Amey and the response I received was that they were tested when the gas safety test was carried out and as they are working what is the problem?

Not quite the response expected regarding life saving safety equipment.
The lady at the other end could not understand that you wouldn't fly in an aircraft with 2 year out of date safety equipment.
Why should I rely on equipment for my family safety which is 2 years out of date and how many other properties are also at risk?

Escalate the call & also refer to your Regional Brigade MHLO

The smoke alarm is out of date & needs replacing
The person who tested it failed the first stage of their safety test:
1) look at it - out of date = fail

 

[dingerr]

The law only requires them to install detectors and ensure they work.

Sch 4, Housing Act 2004.

 

[wafubustard]

I have just tested it with a bit of burning cotton and it did sound.
Steam also set it off whilst boiling some potato.

Still not happy that I have found this is so far out of date and that does not excuse the response from C Amey that it is tested every year during the gas safety check.
This will be taken further.

Thank you for the replies and help.

 

[DarkBrig]

Smoke alarm rule to apply to all homes

Now might be a good time to be a sparky in Scotland, No doubt there will have to be certification produced or you won't be able to sell a house etc probably one of our MSP's has shares in Chubb or one of the other fire companies

 

[Drlligaf]

or get my missus round to cook dinner.

Many years ago I almost sh*t myself when the alarm went off in the kitchen. I'd fried my steak a bit too much.

 

[dingerr]

I have just tested it with a bit of burning cotton and it did sound.
Steam also set it off whilst boiling some potato.

Still not happy that I have found this is so far out of date and that does not excuse the response from C Amey that it is tested every year during the gas safety check.
This will be taken further.

Thank you for the replies and help.

Not much you can do if they are within the law.