Tag: interconnected photoelectric smoke alarm

Interconnected Photoelectric Smoke Alarms are one of the most important safety features in any home. They can save lives by detecting smoke early, giving residents time to evacuate before a fire becomes uncontrollable. However, simply installing smoke alarms is not enough – many people fail to maintain their smoke alarms properly, and as a result, they may not function in a real life fire situation. Cleaning and testing your smoke alarm regularly can help ensure that it will work when you need it most, and also maximize the life expectancy of the alarm itself.

Why Clean Your Smoke Alarm?

Photoelectric smoke alarms are designed to detect smoke particles in the air. Over time, dust and other debris can accumulate on the sensors, which can interfere with their ability to detect smoke. Regular cleaning helps to ensure that the sensors are functioning properly and that the smoke alarm will work when you need it.

Cleaning your smoke alarm is a relatively simple process – please watch our short video below! You can use a soft brush or a vacuum cleaner attachment to remove dust and debris from the sensors by gently vacuuming over and around the external perimeter of the smoke alarm, particularly near the air intake grill. You may be surprised by the dirt, dust and cobwebs that have accumulated over time. Do not apply any liquids or chemical cleaning agents onto your smoke alarm as this could damage it. We suggest to clean and test our Premier Range and Red smoke alarms monthly, in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

When to Test Your Smoke Alarm

Testing your smoke alarm is also an important part of maintaining it. All of the interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms that we sell have a test button that you can press to check the alarm’s functionality (or you may use the optional remote control device). It’s a good idea to test your smoke alarm at least once a month to make sure it is working properly. When the test button is pressed all the smoke alarms should activate with 10-15 seconds of the first one, they should make a beeping noise and flash their red light. All the alarms will then silence automatically.

If you have a hardwired smoke alarm, you should also test the backup battery periodically to ensure that it is functioning correctly.

It’s also a good idea to test your smoke alarm after any significant home renovations or changes, such as painting or installing new carpet. These changes can generate dust and debris that can interfere with the smoke alarm’s sensors. Hot tip – never paint over your smoke alarm if painting the ceiling.

Why Testing Your Smoke Alarm is Important

Testing your smoke alarm regularly is essential for ensuring that it’s working correctly. A smoke alarm that doesn’t work properly won’t be able to alert you to a fire in your home. In a worst-case scenario, this can have tragic consequences including loss of life and/or property.

Smoke alarms are especially critical during the night when you’re asleep. Many fires occur during the night, and if you’re not alerted to a fire early enough, you may not be able to evacuate in time. A properly functioning smoke alarm can give you the time you need to get out of your home safely.

Cleaning and testing your smoke alarm is a simple but essential task that can save lives. Regular basic maintenance of your interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms will ensure they remain working as intended, and will last their full 10-year lifespan without any complications. With a properly functioning smoke alarm that is regularly tested and maintained, you can sleep soundly knowing that you and your family are protected from the dangers of fire. Be sure to take good care of your smoke alarms – and then they will take good care of you!


Nothing is more annoying than when a smoke alarm activates without smoke being present (especially at 3am in the morning!). Why does this happen? There could be several reasons for false alarms. The good news is that you don’t have to go on living this way – our wireless interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms provide reliable protection for you and your family.

The basic operating principal of a photoelectric smoke alarm is that it activates when the light beam inside the smoke alarm chamber is broken or disrupted – typically by tiny smoke particles. However these foreign particles can also come from sources other than real smoke – below are some of the most common examples and how to rectify them.

High humidity

High humidity can occur naturally as the air carries dense moisture particles that your smoke alarm confuses for smoke particles. Although brands can differ, smoke alarms should be designed to work up to 95% relative humidity – anything over this range and air becomes dense enough to scatter the light beam of a photelectric sensor. Extreme tropical weather conditions in the Northern Territory and far north Queensland can sometimes produce high humidity. Fortunately our smoke alarms have been designed and tested by the CSIRO to function in extreme conditions up to 95% RH, as per Australian Standard criteria.

High humidity can also be artificially created by steam from a bathroom shower. If your smoke alarm is positioned outside a bathroom entrance, consider moving it further away so that escaping shower steam doesn’t trigger false alarms.

Dust

A build-up of dust in the air can also affect your smoke alarm. If dust particles enter the internal chamber they will interfere with the photoelectric light beam and trigger nuisance alarms. We recommend cleaning your smoke alarms regularly by gently vacuuming around them with a soft brush attachment from your vacuum cleaner. Cleaning smoke alarms in this way may remove any cobwebs which could also prevent pests from entering the alarm. Be aware of any activities in the home which may create excess dust – for example shaking out old dusty blankets or doonas in a room which has a smoke alarm installed.

Insects

Section 4.17 of Australian Standard 3786:2014 requires smoke alarms to have protection against foreign bodies, so that a sphere of diameter larger than 1.3mm cannot pass into the sensor chamber – this protection is provided by way of an internal mesh screen. Despite this requirement it is still possible that very tiny insects (smaller than 1.3mm) could enter the smoke alarm and by doing so interfere with the photoelectric sensor. One tip to reduce this likelihood is to spray the ceiling perimeter around your smoke alarm with surface insect spray (be sure not to allow the insect spray itself to enter the alarm).

Cooking!

It is true that whilst many house fires start in the kitchen, installing an alarm in the kitchen can induce frequent nuisance alarms. Irrespective of what smoke alarm brand you have, if it is installed too close to the kitchen stovetop or oven it will activate when smoke particles are emitted from the food cooking process (after all, the smoke alarm is doing what it is designed to do). When cooking, always be sure to switch on the rangehood or oven exhaust fan to draw smoky air particles away from your smoke alarm. If the problem continues, try repositioning the alarm further away from the cooking appliance.

Summary

Nuisance smoke alarms can be both frustrating and stressful. Worse, continuing false alarms may generate a ‘boy who cried wolf’ effect, reducing home occupants reaction to a real life fire event.

Fortunately, our wireless interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms undergo strict quality control measures and are manufactured in adherence to Australian Standard 3786:2014, independently tested and by the CSIRO. Using the tips outlined above, your smoke alarms will provide many years of stress-free and reliable fire protection for you and your loved ones.

Ever wondered how to physically attach a smoke a detector onto your ceiling? Click here to watch this short video – it demonstrates how simple it really is! A major advantage of wireless lithium battery powered smoke alarms is that there is no hardwiring involved – this means they can be legally installed by property owners without requiring an electrician.

Checklist of items needed to attach a smoke detector onto the ceiling

Checklist of what’s needed:

  • Pencil
  • Hammer
  • Drill with 5mm drill bit
  • Screws and anchor plugs x 2 (included with our smoke alarms)
  • Smoke alarm and its mounting bracket
Twist mounting bracket and remove from rear of the smoke alarm

STEP 1: Twist the mounting bracket to remove it from the back of the smoke detector.

use a pencil to mark out the smoke detector mounting bracket slots on the ceiling

STEP 2: Locate the mounting bracket in your chosen position on the ceiling. Use a pencil to mark the location of the two mounting bracket slots on the ceiling as per above.

Important – refer to general guidance at the end of this article about where best to locate your smoke detector so that it is compliant with legislation.

Use a 5mm drill bit to drill two pilot holes into the ceiling for the smoke detector mounting bracket

STEP 3: Use a 5mm drill bit to drill a pilot hole at each location marked on the ceiling. Now insert the anchor plugs and use the two screws to attach the mounting bracket to the chosen position.

Don’t over-tighten the screws as this may slightly distort the shape of the plastic mounting bracket (and prevent the smoke alarm from being able to ‘lock’ into it).

Firmly twist the smoke detector in a clockwise direction to lock it into place on the mounting bracket on the ceiling

STEP 4: Attach the smoke alarm to the mounting bracket and firmly turn clockwise to lock it into place. By attaching the smoke alarm to the mounting bracket, the on/off switch is engaged and the alarm will become powered on (if it has not been switched on manually already).

STEP 5: Press the test button to ensure you smoke alarm is working properly. If you have more than one interconnected smoke detector, then the others in the same group should also activate within approximately 10-15 seconds (this is normal). Allow all the smoke alarms to finish their full test cycle without pressing the hush button – they will all stop automatically after approximately 10-15 seconds.

Where should I install interconnected smoke detectors?

As general guidance, smoke detectors in Queensland should be placed inside every bedroom, interconnecting hallway outside the bedrooms, and on every level of a multi-story dwelling. Additionally, smoke detectors should not be installed within 30cm from the edge of a wall, within 30cm from a light fixture, 40cm from an air conditioner vent and also not within 40cm from a ceiling fan blade. It is preferable to install smoke detectors on the ceiling, as opposed to the wall (refer to the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services for more information).

Safety note – Prior to undertaking any home maintenance, it is a good idea to have suitable personal protective equipment (PPE) available, for example safety glasses when operating a drill. If using a ladder to reach the ceiling it also helps to have someone hold the ladder steady whilst you are standing on it. 240v smoke detectors which are hardwired to mains power (i.e. not the lithium battery ones as described in this article) should always be installed by a qualified electrician. Don’t forget – if replacing a 240v hardwired smoke detector in Queensland it must be replaced with a 240v hardwired smoke detector.

Want to know more? Have a look at our shop page – we absolutely love smoke alarms!

Interconnected Smoke Alarms – Shop Online Now!