How to pull a fire alarm without getting caught

There are lots of different smoke alarms on the hardware store shelf, so it is important to understand which option is best for your property, and why.

The two types of smoke alarms used in Western Australia use either ionisation or photoelectric smoke sensors. The difference is in the smoke sensing technology used, which affects how the device reacts to a fire.

We recommend you use photoelectric smoke alarms that are mains powered to keep your household safe.

Photoelectric smoke alarms

Photoelectric technology works by detecting large particles in the air. In modern homes, furnishings contain a significant amount of synthetic materials that smoulder and give off large, visible smoke particles when they burn.

Photoelectric technology is more sensitive to the large smoke particles produced by smouldering fires. This means a fire can be detected sooner, and why we recommend you use photoelectric smoke alarms.

Mains powered smoke alarms

We recommend installing mains powered smoke alarms for all homes, as they are more reliable and a safer choice for your household.

You are required by law to install mains powered smoke alarms if your home:

• Is newly built since 1 July 1997.
• Has undergone significant renovations since 1 July 1997.
• Has transferred ownership since 1 October 2009.
• Has been made available for rent or hire since 1 October 2009.

Important note: All mains powered smoke alarms must be installed by a qualified electrical contractor.

Ionisation smoke alarms

Ionisation technology works by detecting large amounts of very small particles in the air. The amount of small particles required to set off an ionisation smoke alarm are generally only produced by flaming fires or from very hot surfaces.

This means the smoke from smouldering fires, which give off lower amounts of large particles, will take longer to be detected.

Ionisation smoke alarms are also more prone to nuisance alarms from cooking and should not be installed near kitchens.

Battery operated smoke alarms

If mains powered smoke alarms are outside your budget, the next best option is long-life lithium powered (10 year) smoke alarms. These smoke alarms will give you up to 10 years of smoke detection without needing to replace the batteries.

The benefits include:

• No more flat battery ‘chirps’ or ‘beeps’ to deal with.
• No need to pay for replacement batteries each year.
• No need to climb ladders to replace batteries every year.

You can also install battery operated smoke alarms that have a user-replaceable battery, however you will need to change the 9-volt battery at least once a year.

Installing smoke alarms

Where smoke alarms are installed makes a big difference to how safe you’ll be if a fire starts. Find out the best places to install smoke alarms.

IMPORTANT: Mains powered smoke alarms must be installed by a certified electrician only.

Where to install smoke alarms

Living areas

Your family is safest when smoke alarms are installed in every bedroom, living area and hallway in the house.

It is particularly important to install a smoke alarm inside bedrooms where:

• People sleep with their bedroom doors closed - smoke alarms cannot detect smoke quickly through a closed door.
• Children sleep in the bedroom - research has shown that children don’t wake easily to alarms.
• Heaters or electrical appliances are used in those rooms.
• People smoke in their bedrooms.
• Noisy equipment such as air-conditioners, televisions or stereos may mask the sound of a smoke alarm.

At the very least a smoke alarm should be installed in the hallway closest to the bedrooms.

If you live in a multi-storey homes

If your home has more than one storey or level, additional smoke alarms should be installed in the path of travel between each level, such as the stairs.

If you have a garage attached

If you have a garage attached to your home, we recommended you install a heat alarm in this area. A smoke alarm in this area could cause nuisance alarms.

Make sure your heat alarm complies with AS1670.1.

Installers

Mains powered smoke alarms must be installed:

• by a certified electrician;
• abiding by the Building Code of Australia; and
• in accordance with the on where they must be positioned.

For more information, refer to the Smoke alarm laws for existing dwellings fact sheet.

Where not to install smoke alarms

Incorrectly located smoke alarms may lead to your alarm going off when it isn’t needed, this is called a nuisance alarm. Nuisance alarms are dangerous because people can get annoyed and disconnect it, leaving them without an alarm when they really need it.

To reduce the likelihood of false alarms, a smoke alarm should not be located near:

• Cooking appliances or stove tops.
• Doorways to bathrooms and laundries or other damp and humid areas.
• Water heaters, space heaters or fireplaces.
• Heating and cooling duct outlets, ceiling fans, doors and windows as excessive air movement may prevent smoke from reaching the smoke alarm.
• Fluorescent light fittings to avoid the effect of electrical noise or flickering lights.
• Doorways and windows where barbecues and incinerators are located.

Special care must also be taken to not place smoke alarms within:

• 300mm of a corner of a ceiling or wall.
• 300mm of a light fitting.
• 400mm of an air-conditioning vent.
• 400mm of the blades of a ceiling fan.

Positioning your smoke alarms

• Smoke alarms should be located in the centre of the ceiling.
• Smoke alarms can be installed on the wall provided they area fitted between 300mm and 500mm below the ceiling.
• The distance from the apex of a cathedral ceiling to the smoke alarm should be between 500mm and 1500mm.
• The diagram below gives a summary of the recommended smoke alarm positioning.

Maintaining smoke alarms

Cleaning and testing smoke alarms

Monthly maintenance:

• Test by holding down the test button until you hear a loud alert tone, then release. Use a broom handle if you cannot reach but be careful you do not damage the smoke alarm.

Yearly maintenance:

• Vacuum around your smoke alarm vents with a soft brush attachment. This will remove a build-up of dust and cobwebs.
• Use a surface insect spray around the smoke alarm to prevent insects nesting inside. Do not spray inside the smoke alarm.
• If your alarm has a 9-volt user-replaceable battery, you will need to replace the battery each year.

Important notes:

• Always check the green visual display light is lit up. This shows that the smoke alarm is connected to the mains power.
• Never fiddle with alarms or place anything over them, like paint or tape. This will stop the alarm from detecting smoke particles in the air.

When to replace the whole smoke alarm

All smoke alarms, including mains powered alarms need to be replaced every 10 years!

Smoke alarms are made to last 10 years. After this time your smoke alarm won’t work as well as it should because of dust, insects, airborne contaminants and corrosion of electrical circuits.

If a user-replaceable battery (9-volt alkaline) smoke alarm continues to ‘chirp’ or ‘beep’ after changing the battery, the smoke alarm is likely to be faulty and will need to be replaced.

If you have had a lot of power outages over the life of a long-life lithium powered (10 year) smoke alarm, the rechargeable lithium cells may degrade and become inoperable and need to be replaced.

Important note: You need to get a licensed electrical contractor to disconnect or install mains powered smoke alarms.

When to replace smoke alarms batteries

All smoke alarms have batteries, including mains powered smoke alarms. Many smoke alarms on the market have a rechargeable battery, which you will not need to change.

A 9-volt user-replaceable battery needs to be changed every year, and will make a warning ‘beep’ or ‘chirp’ if the battery needs to be replaced (before your yearly replacement).

Always read the manufacturer’s instructions before changing the battery,

If you have experienced a long power outage, your mains powered smoke alarms may give a low battery warning. You do not need to change the battery but it may take a few hours to recharge once reconnected to power.

Smoke alarms for people with disability

If hearing, vision or immobility may impact your reaction to smoke alarms, we recommend that your smoke alarms be interconnected. This means when one smoke alarm detects a fire, all alarms throughout the house will sound and alert all the occupants. You may also want to think about getting a smoke alarm that is connected to a monitoring centre.

The standard smoke alarm (designed to emit 85 dB at a distance of three metres) is suitable to wake most people who have mild to moderate hearing loss. However, if you're deaf or have severe hearing loss, you may have difficulty in hearing standard smoke alarms and evacuation systems.

Smoke alarms for the deaf and hard of hearing have strobe lights and/or vibrating pads that can be interconnected with standard audible alarms in different locations within the home. When the smoke alarm sounds, the strobe will flash and the vibrating pad will vibrate.

For more information you can contact:

• ‍Access Plus WA Deaf
• ‍Indigo
• ‍ Telethon Speech and Hearing
• ‍Smoke alarm manufacturers.

Landlords, rentals and short term lets

If you’re renting or hiring your property to others there are smoke alarm laws you need to know about. It is also important for you to understand what role you need to play in keeping the household safe.

Landlords

If you’re renting or hiring your property you are required to maintain your smoke alarms, making sure all smoke alarms are in working order and less than 10 years old.

The following routine will help you stay on top of your smoke alarm maintenance:

• Check all smoke alarms are less than 10 years old - the replacement date is often located on the unit.
• Check the smoke alarms are firmly secured in the correct location as stated in the Building Code of Australia. Double-sided tape is not acceptable.
• Check the green visual display light is lit up. This shows that the smoke alarm is connected to the mains power.

We recommend you follow a maintenance routine at each inspection. Landlords and property managers should also keep records of smoke alarm maintenance.

Short term rentals

Small guest houses and boarding houses are required to have smoke alarms and lighting system installed as per the .

Smoke alarms and the law

Smoke alarm legislative requirements

Local governments have the power under the Building Act 2011 and the Building Regulations 2012 to issue an infringement notice or prosecute an owner who fails to have compliant smoke alarms installed prior to selling, transferring, renting or hiring the dwelling.

From 1 July 1997 the installation of mains powered smoke alarms became mandatory for all new residential buildings (or residential building extensions) within Western Australia.

Since 1 October 2009 mains powered smoke alarms must also be fitted in all existing residential buildings prior to the transfer of ownership, rent or hire.

Smoke alarms must:

• Be positioned according to the requirements of the Building Code of Australia
• Comply with Australian Standards Mark AS 3786 (from 1 May 2017 all newly installed smoke alarms must comply with Australian Standards Mark AS 3786:2014)
• Be permanently connected to consumer mains power where it is supplied to the building
• Be interconnected, if your home was newly built after 1 May 2015.

Requirements for single level homes

In single level homes, smoke alarms must be installed on or near the ceiling:

• In all hallways leading to bedrooms, or
• Where there is no hallway, in an area near the bedrooms.

Requirements for multi-level homes

In multi-level homes smoke alarms must be installed:

• On each level containing bedrooms (see instructions for a single level home)
• On every other level not containing bedrooms, even if they consist only of bathrooms, laundries, carparking, etc. (The favoured location for smoke alarms is in the path of travel people will most likely take to evacuate the building, such as on a wall or ceiling in the stairway.)

Requirements for small guest houses and boarding houses

Small guest houses and boarding houses (with less than 12 occupants) are required to have smoke alarms installed on or near the ceiling:

• In every bedroom
• In every corridor or hallway associated with a bedroom, or if there is no corridor or hallway, in an area near the bedroom
• On each level of the building.

A system of lighting must also be installed to assist evacuation of occupants in the event of a fire. The lighting must be activated by the smoke alarm and consist of:

• A light incorporated in the smoke alarm; or
• The lighting located in the corridor, hallway or area served by the smoke alarm.

Requirements for those selling, renting or hiring your property

If you’re planning to sell, rent or hire your property, smoke alarms must be:

• In working order
• Less than 10 years from the date of installation.

Building code

The Building Code of Australia (BCA) provides some flexibility when considering detector location and type.

For example, if you have a private garage attached to your home, the use of a smoke alarm may result in nuisance false alarms. The BCA allows property owners to install a heat alarm that complies with Australian Standards Mark AS 1670.1 provided smoke alarms complying with Australian Standards Mark AS 3786 are installed elsewhere.

Find out more about smoke alarm laws for existing dwellings.

Exemptions for demolition

The current owner of a dwelling may choose not to install smoke alarms if the new owner intends to demolish the dwelling and has provided a Declaration of Intended Demolition to the current owner before the transfer of ownership.

A Declaration of Intended Demolition is a statutory declaration made by the person to whom the ownership is to be transferred (the new owner) declaring that the person intends to demolish the dwelling within six months beginning on the transfer day (the day on which ownership is transferred).

If the property is not demolished, the new owner must install the required number of smoke alarms in the dwelling within six months of the transfer.

The new owner will also be required to install smoke alarms should he or she subsequently decide to rent or hire the dwelling after the transfer, prior to demolition.

Find out more about Statutory Declarations on the Attorney General’s Department website.

Battery powered smoke alarms and the law

The Building Regulations 2012 allows the use of battery powered smoke alarms where:

• Mains power is not connected to the dwelling.
• Where there is no hidden space to run the necessary wiring for mains powered alarms, and there is no appropriate alternative location – for example, where there is a concrete ceiling.

The use of battery-operated alarms for any other circumstance must be approved by local government.

Battery operated alarms must have a non-removable 10-year life battery. (9-volt battery operated alarms are not admissible).

Important note: Where a multi-level home is permitted to use a battery powered smoke alarm because the ground floor ceiling is concrete, the owner must not (for the sake of convenience) install a battery powered alarm on the upper floor ceiling where there is sufficient space to run the electrical wiring.

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