Two types of alarms
You can use either sealed battery alarms or mains-wired alarms.
Both types of alarm are interlinked by radio frequency and do not need WiFi.
What the alarms must have
If you use battery alarms, they must be sealed tamper-proof units and have long-life lithium batteries, which can be up to 10 years. You may be able to fit these types of alarms yourself and they do not need an electrician.
Mains-wired alarms are cheaper but if you use them, they must be fitted by a qualified electrician and must be replaced every 10 years. You may also need to redecorate after fitting them.
If you also need a carbon monoxide alarm and it is battery-operated, it must have a sealed battery for the duration of its lifespan.
Where and what to buy
There is no list of approved suppliers or fitters. You can buy both types of alarms online or in store from a number of retailers, and any qualified electrician can fit the mains-wired type.
You need to check that each alarm complies with the following standards:
- smoke alarms BS EN14604:2005
- heat alarms BS 5446-2:2003
- carbon monoxide detector British Kitemark EN 50291-1
More information on the standard, including the types of alarms, is in the Tolerable Standard Guidance Chapters 16 and 17.
Please note that the Nest Protect System will not meet the standard. This is because they do not meet the requirements for a heat alarm under the relevant British Standard. British Standard (BS 5839-6:2019) states that only heat alarms should be installed in kitchens.
Frequently asked questions
The more detailed information below may help to answer some other common questions about the new standard.
Cost of alarms and financial help
Homeowners and landlords
Any costs will be the responsibility of home owners and landlords, and will depend on what you currently have in place and the alarms you choose to install. We estimate that the cost for an average three bedroom house which requires three smoke alarms, one heat alarm and one carbon monoxide detector will be around £290. This is based on using the type of alarms that you can install by yourself without the need for an electrician.
The Scottish Government has, over the period 2018-20, provided the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) with £1m funding to install these alarms in the homes of people assessed to be at high risk from fire as part of a home fire safety visit.
As a general principle, home owners must pay for any ongoing work needed on their own property. As with other housing standards, the homeowner must meet the new fire and carbon monoxide alarm standard. Local authorities have broad discretionary powers to provide advice and help to home owners with work needed to look after their homes.
Help with the costs for pensioners and disabled people
We are providing funding through Care and Repair Scotland to help elderly and disabled people meet the new standard.
To be eligible for support from Care and Repair Scotland you must own and live in your home that has a council tax banding of A-C and:
- be of state pension page and receiving guaranteed Pension Credit, or
- have a disability and be in a support group for Employment and Support Allowance
Tenants of local authority or housing associations
Social landlords (local authority and housing association landlords) are aware of the new standard and have been working to ensure that the new alarms are in place, where needed. The Scottish Government has made over £15m of loan funding available for social landlords ensuring that social tenants are safe in their homes. The standard will be monitored by the Scottish Housing Regulator, which may intervene as they deem appropriate for any non-compliance.
Shared ownership (housing association)
For shared ownership properties, as with other condition standards, responsibilities are set out in the occupancy agreement. However, in general, it is your responsibility as the proportion owner, rather than the registered social landlord, to meet the new fire and smoke alarm standard.
Private rented property
The new standards for fire and smoke alarms extend those which currently apply in the Private Rented Sector (PRS) to housing of all tenures, your landlord should already be complying.
Specialist alarms
If specialist alarms are needed – such as for deaf people or Telecare systems – these must be fitted in addition to any smoke, heat and carbon monoxide alarms.
Interlinked smoke and heat alarms are required to be installed in addition to any Telecare smoke/heat alarms to help keep you safe. If you have fitted or are planning to fit interlinked smoke and heat alarms, please do not remove your telecare smoke, heat or carbon monoxide alarms.
Tenements and blocks of flats
Different homes in a shared property like a tenement or block of flats do not need to be linked to each other, and there is no need for alarms to be fitted in communal areas such as entry halls and stairways.
Asbestos in ceilings and how it affects installation
It is not necessary to disturb asbestos to install fire alarms. You may wish to seek specialist advice but it is possible to install interlinked, tamper proof long-life lithium battery alarms to ceilings with asbestos using a firm adhesive. It is unlikely that attaching an alarm with an adhesive pad would constitute disturbance of asbestos as it does not require cutting or drilling or similar intrusion to release fine particles.
If for any reason, it is inappropriate or you do not want to use an adhesive pad, battery-operated alarms that meet the manufactures requirement and can be wall mounted may be used, - to be compliant with the legislation, an alarm on the wall should be within 30 cm of the ceiling.
Replaceable batteries
Replaceable batteries cannot be used because the sensors in the alarm degrade over time and so will not be able to detect heat or smoke. This is why the alarm has a limited lifetime. There have been several tragedies over the years where alarms failed because their batteries expired or people have removed them. Any alarm you buy will have information on how long it lasts, which can be up to 10 years.
Sealed, tamper-proof battery units must be used because they are safer than those which allow the user to change the batteries.
Disposing of your old alarms
Some but not all types of alarms can be recycled at recycling centres. Look on the alarm for information, or check with the manufacturer.
Compliance with the new standard
Compliance checks
Most home owners want to make their homes as safe as possible and compliance will in time form part of any Home Report when they come to sell their home.
As this will be a minimum standard for safe houses, local authorities will be able to use their statutory powers to require owners to carry out work on substandard housing. However, as is the case for other elements of the Tolerable Standard, any intervention must be proportionate, rational and reasonable and where owners are unable to meet the standard, it is not a criminal offence.
Information and advice
Free Home Fire Safety visits from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS)
To protect the most vulnerable, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) will only fit interlinked alarms into owner-occupied homes where the individual/household is assessed as “high risk” through our Home Fire Safety Visit assessment process.
If the individual / household does not meet these criteria, SFRS staff will provide safety advice, information and details of the revised legislation during the visit. Interim detection can also be supplied if the property has no detectors at present.
Household insurance
Different home insurance policies will have different terms and conditions which a homeowner must comply with in order for their home insurance to be valid. If you are not sure how the new fire and smoke alarm requirements affect your policy, get in touch with your insurer to find out.
Building regulations requirements
New home extensions and building regulation requirements
While building regulations recommend mains operated devices with battery back-up for building work in certain circumstances, tamper proof long-life lithium battery operated devices may be the preferred option for home owners.
The building standards system gives the local authority verifier a degree of flexibility when applying the building regulations to alterations, extensions and conversions. They can consider that a sealed long-life battery operated system that is interlinked via radio frequency can provide an equal or in some cases, higher level of protection than is required through Building Regulations.
A building warrant is sometimes required for the installation of fire and CO alarms
If you are only installing battery operated alarms a building warrant is not required.
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