Is your smoke alarm more than 10 years old? You might want to read this
We know it sounds clickbait-y, but the Metropolitan Fire Service and Ahrns Electrical have some serious advice for you.
This sponsored story is brought to you by Ahrns Electrical.
It’s all that stands between you and disaster – but when was the last time you thought about your smoke alarm?
Yes, every South Australian home has one.
If yours has a nine-volt battery in it, you probably know that you need to change that battery every year or so – typically around the end of daylight saving time.
But there’s more to it than that, as Ahrns Electrical’s Tristan Ahrns explains.
Older smoke alarms need to be replaced
You may be surprised to learn that, if you have a battery-powered smoke alarm that is more than 10 years old, it might not be up to scratch any more.
The national building code requires all homes built since 1995 to have either:
- at least one mains-connected smoke alarm, or
- a smoke alarm with a long-life battery intended to last at least 10 years
The same rules apply to any home which has been sold to new owners since February 1998.
In addition, homes built or renovated since May 2014 are required to have interconnected alarms, where smoke detected by one alarm will set them all off.
If you’re still using an alarm with an ordinary nine-volt battery, you may need to upgrade.
Newer is better
If you do need to look at replacing your alarms, that’s probably for the best anyway, Tristan says.
“The old ionisation ones often don’t work correctly – they’ll pick up your burnt toast but not when it’s a burning couch,” he says.
“The photoelectric ones – whether they’re 240-volt, lithium battery-powered or a combination – are better.”
The Metropolitan Fire Service suggests that the best protection is provided by alarms which are hard-wired to the 240V power supply and interconnected.
New smoke alarms should comply with Australian standard 3786 – they’ll have “AS3786” and/or the Standards Australia logo, with five red ticks, on their packaging.
One smoke alarm might not be enough
The law requires you to have at least one smoke alarm in your home.
That way, if a fire breaks out while you’re asleep, you’ll be woken up.
If it happens while you’re out of the house, your neighbours or a passer-by might hear.
But if your home is quite big, or the bedrooms are spread out, is one smoke alarm enough?
The Metropolitan Fire Service recommends you install an alarm in each bedroom, as well as having one or two in shared areas such as lounge rooms or hallways.
“We recommend having at least two, so you’ve got a fail-safe if one doesn’t work,” Tristan says.
Make sure your alarm is ready to save your life
Whatever smoke alarms you have fitted, make sure they’re in good working order.
The MFS recommends you give them a dust or vacuum at least every six months to make sure that no dust, lint or cobwebs can clog up their sensors.
And if you are still determined to keep using your old 9V battery-powered smoke alarm, don’t forget to change its batteries at least once per year.
Authorities usually suggest you do it around the end of daylight saving time, ahead of winter, when most house fires occur.
Ahrns Electrical can help
For a free evaluation of your smoke alarms, contact Ahrns Electrical in Murray Bridge today.
Someone from the Ahrns team can come and appraise your alarms’ condition and your property’s requirements, and offer a free quote on having replacements installed and connected to mains power.
If that alarm wakes you up in the middle of the night, 10 years from now, and saves your life or property, the minor investment will have been worth it.
- Contact Ahrns Electrical: Call 0423 197 608 between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday, or fill in the form above.
- More information: Visit ahrnselectrical.com.au or follow Ahrns Electrical on Facebook or Instagram; or for smoke alarm legislation, visit www.mfs.sa.gov.au.
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Peri Strathearn
