Introduction

1.1 Provisions are made in this section for
suitable arrangements to be made in all buildings to give early warning in the event of fire.............

Dwellings (1.2 - 1.4 )

General

1.2 In most houses the installation of smoke alarms or automatic fire detection and alarm systems, can significantly increase the level of safety by automatically giving an early warning of fire.

1.3 If houses are not protected by an automatic fire detection and alarm system......

...... they should be provided with a suitable number of smoke alarms installed in accordance with the guidance in paragraphs 1.4 to 1.22 below.

1.4 The smoke alarms should be mains-operated and conform to BS 5446 ..............

........They may have a secondary power supply such as a battery (either rechargeable or replaceable) or capacitor. More information on power supplies is given in clause 13 of BS 5839: Part 6: 1995.

Optical or Ionization ( when to use )

Note: BS 5446: Part 1 covers smoke alarms based on ionization chamber smoke detectors and optical (photo-electric) smoke detectors.

The different types of detector respond differently to smouldering and fast flaming fires..............

Large houses ( 1.5 - 1.7 )

1.5 A house may be regarded as large if any of its storeys exceed 200SqM..............

Loft conversions ( 1.8 )

1.8 Where a loft in a one or two storey house is converted into habitable accommodation, an automatic.smoke detection & alarm system should be installed [ie Houses undergoing loft conversions must have hard wired interlinked alarms installed throughout the whole property]., ..........

Flats and maisonettes ( Notes )

1.9 The same principles apply within flats and maisonettes as for houses, while noting that:.......

Sheltered housing

1.10 The detection equipment in a sheltered housing scheme with a warden or supervisor,
should have ...............

Installations based on smoke alarms

1.11 Smoke alarms should normally be positioned in the circulation spaces between sleeping spaces and places where fires are most likely to start (eg kitchens and living rooms) .................

1.12 In a house (including bungalows) there should be at least one smoke alarm on every storey.

1.13 Where more than one smoke alarm is installed they should be linked ..............

1.14 Smoke alarms should be sited so that:

a. there is a smoke alarm in the circulation space within 7.5m of the door to every habitable room;

b. where the kitchen area is not separated from the stairway or circulation space by a door, there should be a compatible interlinked heat detector in the kitchen, in addition to whatever smoke alarms are needed in the circulation space(s);

c. they are ceiling mounted and at least 300mm from walls and light fittings (unless ..........
.
..........Units designed for wall mounting may also be used provided that ................

1.15 It should be possible to reach the smoke alarms to carry out routine maintenance, ..........

1.16 Smoke alarms should not be fixed next to or directly above heaters or air conditioning outlets.

They should not be fixed in bathrooms, showers, cooking areas or garages, or any other place where steam, condensation or fumes could give false alarms.

Smoke alarms should not be fitted in places that get very hot (such as a boiler room), or very cold
(such as an unheated porch). They should not be fixed to surfaces ....................

System classifications

Power supplies

1.17 The power supply for a smoke alarm system should be derived from the dwelling’s mains electricity supply................If alarm comprises no stand by power supply, [ie AC ONLY] no other electrical equipment should be connected to this circuit. [ie AC only alarms, must only be wired back to main consumer unit on dedicated circuit].

1.18 A smoke alarm, or smoke alarm system, that includes a standby power supply or supplies, [ie AC with battery back up], can operate during mains failure. It can therefore be connected to a regularly-used local lighting circuit. ...............

1.19 Devices for monitoring ...............

...............If a continuous audible warning is given, it should be possible to silence it.

1.20 The smoke alarm circuit should preferably not be protected by any residual current device (rcd). However if ...............

1.21 Any cable suitable for domestic wiring may be used for the power supply and interconnection to smoke alarm systems. It does not need any particular fire survival properties. ...............

Note: Smoke alarms may be interconnected using radio-links, provided that ..............