May 12, 2022
Smoke Alarms Australia has been working with Real Estate Agents across the country for over 16 years, helping to get Landlords compliant with relevant state smoke alarm legislation. Smoke alarms provide early warning and give the best opportunity to save lives, reducing the risk to the property and protecting investments. Making a property compliant should not be taken lightly.
Learn about Smoke Alarm Types
There are many types of smoke alarms, and essentially the terminology you need to know is photoelectric or ionisation, hard-wired, radiofrequency, or battery operated. Photoelectric alarms are recommended by most Fire Services as they are quicker to detect smoke and don't function using small amounts of radiation.
Hard-wired alarms are wired to the property's electrical system and have a battery backup in case there is a service outage. Radiofrequency alarms interconnect through a radio signal and have a 10-year lithium battery as backup. Battery-based alarms are used also.
How do Bugs and Dust affect your alarms?
Bugs and dust are a great concern for ongoing smoke alarm maintenance. Some alarms have a double bug screen, making the alarm more reliable, reducing opportunities for bugs to enter the smoke detection chamber. The double screen could also reduce the amount of servicing required and minimise the risk of false beeping alarms experienced by a tenant.
The correct servicing of smoke alarms is also important and contributes to the longevity of the alarm. A push-button test on the alarm only tests that the alarm has connected power. Testing with artificial smoke, cleaning the alarms, checking alarm positioning and expiry dates is an integral part of the testing process.