What's the difference between optical and ionisation sensors?

Many home insurers will only want to insure homes that are fully up-to-speed with fire safety legislation, others may charge a premium for those yet to comply.

The only way to be sure is to upgrade!

There have been some horror stories in the past of homeowners realising they need their smoke alarms to be compliant with the new law for their home insurance to be valid. Don't get caught out!

Most home insurers will be put at ease by properties with stringent safety measures in place, the less hazards, the cheaper the premium! There can be many advantages to upgrading your smoke alarms.

Upgrade your system today for your peace of mind, your insurers will definitely thank you!

The short answer - No.

Many homes will already have one hardwired smoke alarm in the hallway. This was required in legislation a few years ago and so is especially common in rented properties and new-builds. If this is the only alarm in your home, your system will need to be upgraded. It is also likely that the alarm does not comply with regulations requiring all alarms to have sealed 10-year lithium batteries.

You have two options in this case, you can either upgrade your hardwired alarm and add a radio frequency module for £50. This will allow it to be interlinked with any other alarm we install. The other option is to replace it with a battery-powered (standalone) alarm while you upgrade your system to make your home compliant.

Many people are being told by local authorities, councils or other electrical firms that only hardwired alarms comply with the upcoming regulations: This is not the case. The new regulations are more concerned with the batteries in the alarms. As long as the alarms are interlinked and have sealed, 10-year lithium batteries, they comply.

The cheaper option is to replace your hardwired alarm with a battery-powered alarm when getting your home system upgraded to meet standards. Keeping a hardwired alarm is a more expensive installation, and the radio frequency module that is needed to link it with battery alarms also increases the cost.

An interlinked alarm system is a system in which every alarm is connected. If one alarm detects smoke, they sound in every room, even if smoke hasn't reached the detector. This is a requirement under new Scottish law for smoke & heat alarms that gives you precious seconds to take action.

It is highly important that alarms are linked throughout your property, a recent study showed that 27 out of 34 children will sleep through a smoke alarm that isn't in their room.

CO detectors do not need to be linked to your system but they do have to be in every room with a fuel-burning appliance and any room that a flue runs through. Smoke & Heat alarms can be linked either by the wires connecting them or by a radio-frequency module in battery-powered alarms.

Our Aico alarm systems come with a RadioLINK module which makes your smoke alarm system Interlinked. They use radio frequency to link alarms and have a wireless range of 30 metres in standard properties. Radio frequency signals are not affected by BlueTooth, WiFi or other wireless devices. For more info, check out Aico's description of its RadioLINK technology.

Hardwired systems can also be interlinked through cables but it is recommended to use radio frequency modules to link them in the case of a power outage.

Have you ever had a smoke alarm that would go off seemingly at random? Whenever you were making toast, even if you didn't burn anything? Chances are this was an ionisation sensor smoke alarm. Ionisation alarms are much more sensitive to steam and vapours and are prone to giving false alarms when installed near kitchens or showers.

If you are a landlord, this can be a danger since there have been many cases of tenants disabling the alarms due to their nuisance or over-sensitivity. Ionisation alarms are cheaper, but safety is priceless!

Optical sensors on the other hand detect larger particles of smoke and are the safer and more accurate option for your property, rental or owner-occupied. Optical sensors react less to steam and cooking vapours and more to things like cigarette smoke (ie: smoke from real fires). We only sell Aico Optical alarms as they are the best choice for compliance with New Scottish Government Legislation.

Don't wait for your tenants to disable all of their alarms, fit out your property with our high-quality Aico optical smoke alarms before new legislation comes into place in February 2022.

The short answer—10 years.

The long answer—it really depends on your alarms.

New Scottish Government legislation states that all alarms fitted in properties now need 10-year, tamper-proof sealed lithium batteries that last the entire life of the alarm. Replaceable battery-powered alarms are no longer appropriate for use in Scotland.

What Type of Alarm do I Have?

If you can easily remove the battery from your alarm and the battery is one you could buy in a shop, it needs to be replaced with a new compliant alarm.

If you cannot easily access/remove the battery from your alarm then it has a sealed battery that likely lasts the entire life of the unit. If you know when the alarm was installed, you'll know how long it will work until it needs to be replaced.

Replaceable battery alarms also have a 10-year use life but are often used long past that, due to the replaceable nature of the batteries. With a sealed battery, tenants cannot keep using the alarm after it has reached the end of its use-life and will need to replace it. This is a far safer option for landlords.

It is also recommended that you or your tenants test the alarms weekly and gently clean the area around them every three months, to prevent dust or dirt from blocking their sensors.

If you are still unsure about whether or not your alarm system needs upgrading, please contact us and one of our electricians will advise.

No.

They do not meet the standards required by Scottish home safety legislation.

Nest Protect does not offer a heat sensor required for safety in kitchens in Scotland.

Google owns Nest Protect. You must create an account with Google and share your private data with them to use Nest Protect smoke alarms.

Nest Protect only comes with a 2-year warranty. Our Aico smoke alarms are guaranteed for 10 years.

Nest Protect batteries need to be changed regularly. Our Aico smoke alarms' sealed, tamper-proof Lithium batteries last 10-years. Guaranteed.

We install everything we sell for one fixed, low price. Nest Protect will usually cost you more without installation.