for comparison, in the US, standard codes for new construction require one detector in every bedroom, and enough detectors to meet the following requirements: no bedroom door more than 10 feet away from a smoke detector and a carbon monoxide detector, and a minimum of one smoke detector and one carbon monoxide detector on every inhabited level. currently, it is required to add carbon monoxide detectors if none are present, if the house changes hands, and if a house is being remodeled, every effort must be made to upgrade the smoke detection, up to but not including opening up more wall finish than the remodel is opening. in a new home, the detectors MUST have a wired connection between them, which is to say, the tradesman can't plan to rely on wireless networking between detectors. - but in a retrofit, wireless networking can be used where wired networking can't be installed. it is also recommended to avoid having detectors next to bathroom doors or where cooking fumes will cause nuisance alarms - and detectors subject to that must have a "hush" button.
I sometimes get small puffs of smoke from my wood pellets boiler. This smoke clings to the ceiling and I don't want to get an alarm for this, only if there is a larger amount of smoke. For this reason, I've mounted the smoke detector on the wall c:a 30 cm from the ceiling.
Would you put a Fire Alarm in a Attic. Attic is not occupied but has a folding stair access if needed. Attic has a light and Double Socket that is not used only when I access the Attic Area. 🙂🍀🇮🇪
Yes you should have one but it's the wrong type of detector in this video. For this you should have smokes that are interlinked (requirement in Scotland), so if you had an electrical fire in the attic all other detectors would sound also. Sadly you probably are not going to hear a battery powered smoke in an attic if you're in the living room.
@@adrianjohnson5518You might want to go do some research into your statement. A quick bit of research I have done indicates smoke alarms are not suitable for the attic, for a multitude of reasons which I am not going to write here. You can research it yourself if you really want to know why. It's indicated heat alarms are what can be used in the attic. I am using the word can and not should as you have, because I am not convinced the regs require the use of heat or smoke detectors in the attic, though in principle it might be a good idea.
If be interested in opinions on a maisonette where the front door opens on to the bottom of the stairs. No room downstairs, just enough for the door to open. Is a detector required on the ground floor?
I think it would depend on how high the ceiling is, but if there is room then I would say yes, especially if there are hazards there that could start a fire, such as electrical equipment. I would recommend interlinked detection so that the other Sounders will activate and notify you of a fire. Sadly even this will not make you aware of where the fire actually is, for this it would be a fire system with a panel.
I'm currently upgrading an old cottage and they have exposed joists everywhere, customer doesn't want them fitted on walls or on the bottom of joists. Only place I can fit them is between the joists. Would this comply as I'm out of options?
Yes, provided the joists are no deeper than 800mm, otherwise these are considered voids and can take a lot of smoke to fill and subsequently activate the detector.
Depends if the room needs a heat detector? Is it a kitchen or a room that generates steam? The heat is the way to go, otherwise a smoke detector, as a smoke will always detect a fire first.
@@adrianjohnson5518 kitchen Our extension is 6m x 5.3m internally so could we just stick one nearer the cooker or should we still leave it just off centre in the middle of the room?
@@therealdojj don't forget heat detectors only detect in 5.2m radius as said in the video. So if you are having one and you put it off centre then make sure it's within 5.2m of your cooker. I wouldn't recommend above your cooker as contaminants from cooking can enter the detector and affect performance. If you want to be fully covered then you will need 2 heats, one at either end of the room but adhering to the spacing from walls and light fittings as mentioned in this video
And here we have someone that can't convert from an area to a radius. Have you forgotten the formula for the area of a circle which you learned in school?
@@adrianjohnson5518Read the question! He didn't ask if he needed a heat detector, he asked if a heat detector is going to have sufficient detection area for the size of the room!
The key to installation is: Imagine smoke (particles) being the passenger in a car and the heat (affected by density, gas mix, volume) the vehicle .... The speed and position of said vehicle directly affects the time the detector needs to sample said passenger, ie... the slower the vehicle the better the sensor can sample the passenger.
Really poor and unnecessary analogy. The problem is sufficiently simple an analogy is not needed to explain how they operate. And definitely wrong in regard to heat detectors. They use the infrared radiation emitted and this is not particles like smoke particles.
@@deang5622 if you read it fully, you may notice i refer to smoke travel and it gives the installer perspective in field operation of smoke detectors, no mention of heat detection
Read my post again. I didn't say smoke detectors, I said heat detectors. Smoke detectors and heat detectors detect different things. Smoke is particles , heat is not. Smoke detectors can use a couple of detection methods, a principle means of detection is to use a radioactive radioisotope and the principle of ionisation. Heat can be IR radiation or the movement of air particles. The description of Fire Angel smoke detectors state they use a mirror to direct the heat on to a thermistor. The presence of the mirror means they are infrared based.
If CO is heavier than air, why is it always recommended to put the CO detector in the ceiling? Shouldn't it be closer to the floor? I asked this to a fire inspector and he didn't know the answer.
You might want to mention the regulations in scotland are different to England
for comparison, in the US, standard codes for new construction require one detector in every bedroom, and enough detectors to meet the following requirements: no bedroom door more than 10 feet away from a smoke detector and a carbon monoxide detector, and a minimum of one smoke detector and one carbon monoxide detector on every inhabited level.
currently, it is required to add carbon monoxide detectors if none are present, if the house changes hands, and if a house is being remodeled, every effort must be made to upgrade the smoke detection, up to but not including opening up more wall finish than the remodel is opening. in a new home, the detectors MUST have a wired connection between them, which is to say, the tradesman can't plan to rely on wireless networking between detectors. - but in a retrofit, wireless networking can be used where wired networking can't be installed.
it is also recommended to avoid having detectors next to bathroom doors or where cooking fumes will cause nuisance alarms - and detectors subject to that must have a "hush" button.
And how many people put detectors in the roof space when
Solar and boilers installed in them
I sometimes get small puffs of smoke from my wood pellets boiler. This smoke clings to the ceiling and I don't want to get an alarm for this, only if there is a larger amount of smoke. For this reason, I've mounted the smoke detector on the wall c:a 30 cm from the ceiling.
Would you put a Fire Alarm in a Attic. Attic is not occupied but has a folding stair access if needed. Attic has a light and Double Socket that is not used only when I access the Attic Area. 🙂🍀🇮🇪
Yes you should have one but it's the wrong type of detector in this video. For this you should have smokes that are interlinked (requirement in Scotland), so if you had an electrical fire in the attic all other detectors would sound also. Sadly you probably are not going to hear a battery powered smoke in an attic if you're in the living room.
Many thanks 🙂👍
@@adrianjohnson5518You might want to go do some research into your statement. A quick bit of research I have done indicates smoke alarms are not suitable for the attic, for a multitude of reasons which I am not going to write here. You can research it yourself if you really want to know why.
It's indicated heat alarms are what can be used in the attic.
I am using the word can and not should as you have, because I am not convinced the regs require the use of heat or smoke detectors in the attic, though in principle it might be a good idea.
@@deang5622 thanks for the correction.
If be interested in opinions on a maisonette where the front door opens on to the bottom of the stairs. No room downstairs, just enough for the door to open.
Is a detector required on the ground floor?
I think it would depend on how high the ceiling is, but if there is room then I would say yes, especially if there are hazards there that could start a fire, such as electrical equipment. I would recommend interlinked detection so that the other Sounders will activate and notify you of a fire. Sadly even this will not make you aware of where the fire actually is, for this it would be a fire system with a panel.
Even simpler answer.
Is there anything combustible down stairs?
There nearly always is.
Location are in the reg book
Great explanation and video as always Joe.
And what a fantastic live show last night I found it very interesting and entertaining. 👍
Well explained Joe
I'm currently upgrading an old cottage and they have exposed joists everywhere, customer doesn't want them fitted on walls or on the bottom of joists. Only place I can fit them is between the joists. Would this comply as I'm out of options?
Yes, provided the joists are no deeper than 800mm, otherwise these are considered voids and can take a lot of smoke to fill and subsequently activate the detector.
@@Lauriemine thank you
Should be fine as long as the beams don’t protrude more than 10% of the total ceiling height, look for a “guide to bs5839” for detector sighting.
When you say 5.3m for a heat alarm, that's the radius, so if the room is 5.3m square is this still going to be viable?
Thanks
Depends if the room needs a heat detector? Is it a kitchen or a room that generates steam? The heat is the way to go, otherwise a smoke detector, as a smoke will always detect a fire first.
@@adrianjohnson5518 kitchen
Our extension is 6m x 5.3m internally so could we just stick one nearer the cooker or should we still leave it just off centre in the middle of the room?
@@therealdojj don't forget heat detectors only detect in 5.2m radius as said in the video. So if you are having one and you put it off centre then make sure it's within 5.2m of your cooker. I wouldn't recommend above your cooker as contaminants from cooking can enter the detector and affect performance. If you want to be fully covered then you will need 2 heats, one at either end of the room but adhering to the spacing from walls and light fittings as mentioned in this video
And here we have someone that can't convert from an area to a radius.
Have you forgotten the formula for the area of a circle which you learned in school?
@@adrianjohnson5518Read the question!
He didn't ask if he needed a heat detector, he asked if a heat detector is going to have sufficient detection area for the size of the room!
The key to installation is: Imagine smoke (particles) being the passenger in a car and the heat (affected by density, gas mix, volume) the vehicle .... The speed and position of said vehicle directly affects the time the detector needs to sample said passenger, ie... the slower the vehicle the better the sensor can sample the passenger.
Really poor and unnecessary analogy.
The problem is sufficiently simple an analogy is not needed to explain how they operate.
And definitely wrong in regard to heat detectors. They use the infrared radiation emitted and this is not particles like smoke particles.
@@deang5622 if you read it fully, you may notice i refer to smoke travel and it gives the installer perspective in field operation of smoke detectors, no mention of heat detection
Fabulous video
Curtain pulled over the front door? explanation?
Spark "How many detectors do I need?"
Building Control "Sure stick one on each floor and you'll be grand". 🤣
How about how the heat moves through the space.. funny but I thought IR travelled at the speed of light and in a straight line.
Convection my good fellow.
IR has very little to do with smoke detectors
Read my post again. I didn't say smoke detectors, I said heat detectors.
Smoke detectors and heat detectors detect different things.
Smoke is particles , heat is not. Smoke detectors can use a couple of detection methods, a principle means of detection is to use a radioactive radioisotope and the principle of ionisation.
Heat can be IR radiation or the movement of air particles.
The description of Fire Angel smoke detectors state they use a mirror to direct the heat on to a thermistor.
The presence of the mirror means they are infrared based.
If CO is heavier than air, why is it always recommended to put the CO detector in the ceiling? Shouldn't it be closer to the floor? I asked this to a fire inspector and he didn't know the answer.
I believe it's slightly lighter, most recommended to be put higher but bedroom is recommended at sleeping level