Smoke Alarm Installation at Rental Properties

 The regulations surrounding smoke alarm installation can seem confusing, and as a responsible landlord, you want to be certain your property is safe. It is vital that you choose a qualified and experienced smoke alarm installer to carry out any new smoke alarm installation. This will ensure a safe result that is in full compliance with regulations. If you need a smoke alarm installation at your rental property in Bristol, EMC Electrical Group are here to assist.

Hardwired or Battery Powered Smoke Alarms?

There are two options when planning a smoke alarm installation at your Bristol rental property - either battery operated or hardwired smoke alarms. For most landlords, installing hardwired smoke alarms is the preferred option. Battery powered alarms can be easily disabled, either intentionally or mistakenly. How often have you carried out a check at your property and discovered that your tenant has disconnected the battery in the smoke alarm when it begins to chirp its low power warning? This leaves your tenants, and your property with no effective protection.  With a hardwired smoke alarm, this simply cannot happen. Whilst they must still be tested regularly, they feature both a mains power source and a backup battery. This means the chance of failure is much lower. A hardwired smoke alarm installation provides the best level of protection for your tenants. They are also a lower maintenance options as, aside from your routine testing schedule, they shouldn’t need to be replaced for around 10 years.

Hardwired smoke alarms installation in rental properties

A hardwired smoke alarm installation at your rental property in Bristol should only be carried out by a qualified, competent electrician. They must possess a thorough understanding of the regulations for landlords to ensure you remain fully compliant and on the right side of the law.  Regulations state that landlords must ensure smoke alarms are installed effectively to best protect their tenants. A smoke alarm that is poorly or inappropriately installed will provide little protection for your tenants. As the person responsible, you will be liable in the event of any problems. By choosing a trusted, experienced electrician to install the smoke alarms at your Bristol rental property you can be certain of a safe, compliant result. 

Smoke alarm installation in rental properties

According to regulations one smoke alarm as a minimum must be installed on every floor that is used as living accommodation. It it is also recommended that a smoke alarm is installed in each bedroom to provide the highest levels of protection. Smoke alarms can only function effectively when installed in the correct position. This is usually on the ceiling in the centre of the room. If they are placed in the wrong location, they may fail to give adequate protection. There are some exceptions to this and a trained smoke alarm electrician will have the knowledge required to make an effective installation in any unusual situations – such as when there are irregular height ceilings. Care must also be taken that a smoke alarm is not installed within 10 feet of a cooker as this may cause false alarms to occur.  Alongside these general recommendations there are also specific guidelines from each individual manufacturer. It is best to use an experienced electrician who understands how to perform an effective and safe installation at your rental property.

Smoke alarm installer in Bristol

If you are a landlord in Bristol and would like to speak to an experienced electrician about the smoke alarm installation at your rental property, call EMC Electrical Group today. We are your local, fully qualified and NICEIC registered electrician with vast experience in smoke alarm installations for landlords. Contact us today.