Smoke Alarm Installation

Grade D1 is the standard recommended by BS 5839-6 for domestic properties. It means all alarms are mains-powered (connected to your property’s electrical supply) with a rechargeable battery backup in case of power failure. They are also interlinked, so when one alarm detects smoke or heat, every alarm in the system sounds simultaneously.

Under the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022, landlords in England must install at least one smoke alarm on every storey of their rental property and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance. From October 2022, these must be repaired or replaced if reported as faulty. A Grade D1 interlinked system is the recommended standard for compliance.

Standalone alarms work independently – only the alarm that detects smoke will sound. Interlinked alarms are connected either by wire or radio frequency, so if one alarm triggers, every alarm in the house sounds. This is crucial in larger properties where you might not hear a standalone alarm from another floor.

BS 5839-6 recommends at minimum one smoke alarm on every storey, positioned in circulation areas such as hallways and landings. A heat alarm should be installed in the kitchen. We also recommend smoke alarms in the living room, and heat alarms in any room where a smoke alarm might false-alarm, such as a utility room. We’ll survey your property and recommend the right number and placement.

Heat alarms should always be used in kitchens rather than smoke alarms. Smoke alarms are prone to false alarms from cooking fumes and steam. Heat alarms trigger only when the temperature rises rapidly or exceeds a fixed threshold, so they detect real fires without going off every time you cook.