Maintaining a smoke alarm is more than just changing the battery and testing the alarm with a stick or by pressing the 'battery test' button. You need to know that it will actually work in a fire.

Given there is a house fire in Australia approximately every 26 minutes, with most of them occurring at night whilst we sleep and have no sense of smell, it's simply not worth the risk of ignoring fire safety.
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Smoke alarm compliance requirements

• Correct quantity and quality of smoke alarms
• Correct location of smoke alarms
• Not older than 10 years (expiry date should be on the alarm to comply)
• Ventilation holes must be clear from obstructions such as insects and their debris
• Annual function test including testing the alarm with artificial smoke

Types of smoke alarms

While only a small device, smoke alarms are vital in ensuring lives are protected. They are responsible for not only detecting a fire, but to also alert residents of a fire, waking them up and in time to escape the property safely. 

There are two types of smoke alarms that are designed to detect a fire- Photoelectric and Ionisation smoke alarms. The way each alarm type operates means that they detect fires at different stages.

Photoelectric smoke alarms

Photoelectric smoke alarms are designed to ‘see’ the smoke before it bursts into flames. They are able to detect slow burning smouldering fires significantly earlier than ionisation smoke alarms. As a result of early detection, occupants are able to escape the property safely while the level of smoke is low and the air is breathable.

Ionisation smoke alarms

Ionisation smoke alarms are designed to ‘smell’ the smoke that comes from the flames of a fire. They are able to detect fast flaming fires. Because ionisation smoke alarms take longer to respond to smouldering fires, breathing and visibility problems may occur, making escape more difficult for occupants.

Best practices

Many residential fires begin as smouldering ones, often caused by appliances used in our everyday living. When appliances are used the wrong way, are plugged into an overloaded power point or are left on for a long period of time, the small fires that may start are best detected using photoelectric smoke alarms. The extra warning time they give can provide precious minutes for residents to either deal with the fire or escape the property.

Fire and rescue authorities across Australia recommend the use of photoelectric smoke alarms when installing new and replacing existing smoke alarms, and as such it is the best policy to use only top quality photoelectric smoke alarms, installed in locations advised by fire and rescue authorities or a properly trained licensed electrician.

Ben Watson
​Electrician Batemans Bay
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