Smoke alarm installation for your Queensland home
Protect your family and home before the government’s deadline
Did you know that when you sleep, your sense of smell is suppressed? That means you may not smell a fire in your home until it’s too late – which is why smoke alarms are such an important safety feature to have installed in your home.
Yet because the old-style ionisation smoke alarms can be slow to react, they might not give you and your family enough time to escape a serious house fire. For this reason, the Queensland Government is rolling out new legislation for smoke alarms in homes.
You must install photoelectric smoke alarms – which have been proven to be more effective – in your home before 2027. But because upgrading your smoke alarms today could save a life, at Jaric we reckon it’s a very good idea to get started early.
Our expert electricians will be happy to help you make sure your home complies well before the deadline, to ensure that you, your family, and your home are protected and safe.
What smoke alarms do you need installed as a homeowner?
From the 1st of January 2017, you must replace your existing smoke alarms (that are more than 10 years old) with new photoelectric smoke alarms.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) recommend that smoke alarms be either hardwired or powered by a non-removable 10-year battery. All smoke alarms should be interconnected so that if one goes off, all go off.
QFES advise that for the best protection, you should install a smoke alarm on each storey:
- in every bedroom
- in hallways which connect bedrooms and the rest of the dwelling
- if there is no hallway, between the bedrooms and other parts of the storey; and
- if there are no bedrooms on a storey, at least one smoke alarm should be installed in the most likely path of travel to exit the home.
Though these are QFES’s strong recommendations now, they’ll become law by the 1st January 2027.
Why photoelectric smoke alarms are becoming mandatory
Photoelectric smoke alarms detect visible combustion particles (such as smoke) using a photo cell and light beam. The alarm is triggered when smoke particles enter the test chamber and scatter some of the light beam.
They’re good at detecting smoky and smouldering fires – a common type of house fire. Dust or insects can sometimes cause a false alarm, so you should clean your photoelectric smoke alarm from time to time.
Photoelectric smoke alarms offer many benefits over the old style. They:
- Are good for smouldering fire and dense smoke
- Aren’t as prone to cooking nuisance alarms
- Contain no radioactive material, and
- Are suitable for general household use.
When your home is protected by photoelectric smoke alarms, in the unfortunate event of a fire you’ll be alerted early, so that you and your family can escape safely.
Contact Jaric Electrical for professional smoke alarm services
To ensure your home’s smoke alarms meet the incoming legislation, contact Jaric Electrical.
Our expert electricians will:
- Assess your current smoke alarm setup
- Test your existing smoke alarms
- Advise you if any upgrade is needed, and
- Install new photoelectric smoke alarms as required
To make sure your home’s smoke alarms are compliant and protecting your home and family, call Jaric Electrical on 1300 452 742 or contact us online.