Category: Info

On February 17, 2023, the Standards Australia Committee published a new Australian Standard for smoke alarms, known as Australian Standard 3786:2023. This standard replaces the previous version, Australian Standard 3786:2014. The superseding of standards is a common occurrence, as standards are regularly updated and amended over time. In the case of Australian Standard 3786, it has undergone multiple iterations since its initial release in 1990.

Why was a new Australian smoke alarm standard issued?

There are several reasons behind the issuance of new Australian Standard 3786:2023:

-Technological advancements: With the emergence of new smoke alarm technologies and the evolution of existing ones, it was necessary to update the standard to incorporate these changes. This ensures that the standard remains relevant and reflects the current technology available in the market. For example, the new standard now includes provisions for interconnected smoke alarms.

-Safety considerations: Safety is of utmost importance in this standard. As new fire risks are identified and existing ones are better understood, the standard has been updated to address these concerns. This involves providing clearer guidelines for the safe usage of smoke alarms and associated testing protocols.

-International harmonization: In a globalized world, harmonizing standards across different countries and regions is crucial for interoperability and mutual recognition of products. Australian Standard 3786:2023 has been aligned with the International Standard ISO 12239:2021 for smoke alarms using scattered light, transmitted light, or ionization.

-Feedback and continuous improvement: The development of Australian Standard 3786:2023 was an iterative process that took into consideration feedback from users, stakeholders, and experts. Committee members involved in the development included the National Fire Industries Association, Australian Building Codes Board, Property Council of Australia, CSIRO, and the Fire Protection Association Australia.

Now, let’s explore the key differences between the new Australian Standard 3786:2023 and the old Australian Standard 3786:2014:

-Recognition of combination and multi-criteria smoke alarms: The new standard acknowledges the introduction of smoke alarms that combine multiple sensors within a single housing, allowing for enhanced detection capabilities.

-Inclusion of unrelated sensors: The new standard references the inclusion of sensors within smoke alarms that are unrelated to smoke detection. For example, a smoke alarm could now include a carbon monoxide sensor, creating a dual purpose product that is both a carbon monoxide detector and smoke alarm.

-Additional requirements: The new standard introduces new requirements for smoke alarms powered by mains household power, temporary disablement facilities, smoke alarms using radio frequency links, and assessment for wall-mounted smoke alarms.

Do I need to upgrade my smoke alarms so they are compliant with Australian Standard 3786:2023?

If you currently have smoke alarms that comply with Australian Standard 3786:2014, you do not need to immediately upgrade them to comply with the new Australian Standard 3786:2023. Compliance with a standard only becomes a legal requirement when it is referenced in legislation by the Australian government or other regulatory bodies. As of the time of writing this article, fire safety legislation in Queensland still references Australian Standard 3786:2014, and the National Construction Code 2022 (adopted by states and territories from May 1, 2023) also continues to reference the 2014 version. Therefore, legal compliance remains unchanged. However, it is important to note that regardless of changes in the Australian Standard, smoke alarms should always be replaced if they fail to operate or are older than 10 years from the date of manufacture. Interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms are recommended for replacement.

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A photoelectric smoke alarm is a life saving appliance that is designed to alert occupants of a fire and give them time to evacuate safely, and as such, it is a crucial component of QLD home and building safety. But have you ever wondered how a photoelectric smoke alarm is manufactured to to meet the highest standards of quality and safety? Manufacturers of a photoelectric smoke alarm need to ensure that their products are safe, reliable, and effective – this is where an ISO 9001 quality management system comes into play.

ISO 9001 is a globally recognized standard for quality management systems. It provides a framework for organizations to establish and maintain processes that ensure consistent product quality. ISO 9001 is an important indicator of a company’s commitment to quality and customer satisfaction – it covers all aspects of an organization’s operations, including design, development, production, delivery, and support. Do you know if your photoelectric smoke alarm has come from an ISO 9001 accredited facility?

The commercial production of a photoelectric smoke alarm involves sourcing high-quality materials, assembling the components, and then testing the finished product for quality and safety. ISO 9001 requires manufacturers to establish and document clear processes for sourcing these materials and assembling the product, as well as procedures for testing and inspecting the final product.

Testing is a crucial part of the manufacturing process for photoelectric smoke alarms. ISO 9001 requires manufacturers to establish rigorous testing procedures to ensure that every device meets the required safety standard (Australian Standard 3786:2014). This includes testing for sensitivity to smoke, false alarms, and battery life.

ISO 9001 certification also requires manufacturers to continuously monitor and improve their processes to ensure consistent product quality. This involves regularly reviewing and analyzing data to identify areas for improvement, and implementing changes to optimize the manufacturing process.

Manufacturers must also have processes in place to ensure that the photoelectric smoke alarm is delivered to customers safely and effectively. This means that the smoke alarms are packaged correctly and that they arrive at their destination without damage. Manufacturers must also ensure that customers can install and use the photoelectric smoke alarm correctly.

In conclusion, manufacturing photoelectric smoke alarms is a complex process that requires precision, attention to detail, and a commitment to quality and safety. ISO 9001 accreditation plays a crucial role in ensuring that every step of the process is documented, monitored, and continuously improved to meet the highest standards of quality and safety. By choosing a photoelectric smoke alarm manufacturer that is ISO 9001 accredited, you can have confidence that the photoelectric smoke alarms in your home or building are of the highest quality and will provide reliable protection for years to come.


www.photoelectricsmokealarms.com.au

Whilst battery powered smoke alarms* are easy for homeowners to DIY install, there are certain situations where they are not permitted by law and a hard wired smoke alarm must be used. Prior to installing any type of smoke alarm, it is important to understand their differences and when each can be used.

What is a hard wired smoke alarm?

A hard wired smoke alarm is an alarm which is hard wired to a domestic dwelling’s 240 volt electricity supply. As electrical wiring is necessary, hard wired smoke alarms cannot be DIY installed and should always be installed by a trade qualified Electrician. Hard wired smoke alarms have an internal battery back-up which allows for continuous power supply should the household mains electricity be temporarily disrupted (i.e. power black-out during a thunder storm). When there is more than one, hard wired smoke alarms must be interconnected to each other – this can be achieved in two ways – either by running physical cabling in the ceiling space in-between each alarm, or wirelessly using a radio frequency (RF) transmitter.

When must I install a hard wired smoke alarm?

There are 3 situations in Queensland when it is a statutory requirement for 240 volt hard wired smoke alarms to be installed.

1) If you are constructing a new home

If you are constructing a new home then hard wired smoke alarms are required as part of the building approval process – Queensland’s Building Regulations 2021 (part 4) and the National Construction Code (NCC 2019 volume 2 part 3.7.5) detail minimum necessary building standards, including those for fire safety and smoke alarms.

Queensland’s Building Regulations 2021 state that when constructing a new home, the smoke alarms must be hardwired to the domestic dwelling’s electricity supply; and must be interconnected to every other smoke alarm installed in the dwelling.

2) If you are performing a substantial renovation

Division 5A (section 104RBA) of the QLD Fire and Emergency Services Act 1990 states that hard wired smoke alarms must be installed when a substantial renovation is being performed to an existing dwelling.

A ‘substantial renovation’ is defined as building work carried out under a building development approval, or the total building works equaling 50 per cent of the dwelling over three years.

3) If you are replacing an existing hard wired smoke alarm

Division 5A (section 104RC) of the QLD Fire and Emergency Services Act 1990 states that if the smoke alarm being replaced was hardwired to the domestic dwelling’s electricity supply, the replacement smoke alarm must also be hardwired to the dwelling’s electricity supply. A smoke alarm must be replaced if it fails to operate or is older than 10 years from manufacture date (manufacture date is printed on the rear of the alarm).

What if I don’t need to replace my existing hard wired smoke alarms? Can I leave them in place and install additional battery powered alarms in all the required locations and be compliant?

This is a common question. Provided the existing hard wired smoke alarms work and their manufacture date is less than 10 years they do not need to be replaced.

Battery powered interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms can then be installed in all prescribed locations as required by QLD law. The position of the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) is that the existing hard wired smoke alarms are then considered to be extra additional alarms, and do not need to be interconnected to the newly installed battery powered smoke alarms. Compliance is achieved.

Replacing and installing new hard wired smoke alarms

Red smoke alarms are a 100% Australian owned company that manufacture quality 240 volt hard wired smoke alarms for those people that do need to replace or install hard wired smoke alarms. Aside from the 10 year product warranty, what makes the Red hard wired smoke alarm so good is that it comes in two versions depending on the preferred type of battery back-up. The Red hard wired smoke alarm (model R240RC) comes with an in-built rechargeable 10 year lithium battery (never needs replacing) whereas the Red hard wired smoke alarm (model R240) has a user replaceable 9 volt back-up battery. The choice is yours.

Another great feature of Red hard wired smoke detectors is how they can be interconnected with one another. There are two options. First, each Red hard wired smoke detector can be physically interconnected by having an electrician run cabling from alarm to alarm in your ceiling space. If this is too cost prohibitive and/or difficult to do, the second option is to interconnect the hard wired smoke alarms using wireless radio frequency (RF) technology. This is achieved by installing a small Red hard wired base beneath each hard wired smoke alarm. The base acts as an RF transmitter and allows the hard wired smoke alarms to become interconnected and ‘talk’ to one another without the need to run physical cabling from alarm to alarm. An added benefit of the Red hard wired base is that it also allows the Red hard wired smoke alarm to talk to not only other Red hard wired smoke alarms, but also to the Red remote control and other Red battery powered smoke alarms and Red heat alarms – extremely versatile.

Summary

This article has demonstrated the 3 criteria where hard wired smoke alarms must be installed as per QLD legislation. In all other scenarios it is acceptable to use battery powered smoke alarms to achieve compliance.

Before purchasing new replacement smoke alarms for your home be sure to check if your existing smoke alarms are hard wired, or not. Doing this may save complications later, if for example you purchased battery powered smoke alarms, only to discover that what you really needed are hard wired smoke alarms.

* A ‘battery powered’ smoke alarm is a smoke alarm powered by a non-removable 10-year battery compliant with Australian Standard 3786:2014.

Referenced legislation:

QLD Building Regulations 2021 (part 4)

National Construction Code (NCC) 2019 volume 2 part 3.7.5

QLD Fire and Emergency Services Act 1990 (Division 5A)

QFES Smoke Alarms for New Dwellings and Renovations

Interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms are a crucial safety component of any home – they provide early warning of smoke and fire, giving occupants valuable time to escape. It is important to periodically test and clean all smoke alarms (irrespective of brand), to ensure they function correctly over their full 10-year lifetime. Just as a car is serviced to keep it running smoothly, photoelectric smoke alarms occasionally need some TLC too!

Here are some recommendations on how to test and clean your interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms.

Testing your interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms

It is recommended to test ZEN smoke alarms monthly to ensure they are functioning correctly (of course there is nothing stopping you from testing the smoke alarms more frequently if you wish to do so). To avoid surprising the neighbours it is generally a good idea to notify people in the vicinity that you will be testing the alarms. Once started, the smoke alarm test sequence should take no more than 10-15 seconds and will silence automatically.

To test your smoke alarm(s), follow these simple steps:

  1. Press the test button once on the optional remote control device or on the smoke alarm itself – the smoke alarm should sound almost immediately. The test button on the ZEN smoke alarm is concealed beneath the surface of the alarm (to give it a slim and stylish appearance). Simply push down once in the centre surface of the alarm to press the test button.
  2. When the alarm sounds loud and clear and is accompanied by a red flashing light it means your smoke alarm is working correctly and the test is successful.
  3. If the alarm sounds weak, does not sound at all, or the red light does not flash, you may need to replace the entire smoke alarm. Note the smoke alarm 10-year battery is sealed inside the unit and cannot be replaced as it is non-removable (this is a requirement of Australian Standard 3786:2014). The battery inside the optional remote control device is removeable and replaceable.
  4. If your ZEN smoke alarm is interconnected with others in a group, ensure they all sound and activate their red flashing light too. Depending how many alarms are in the interconnected group, they should all start within 10 seconds of the first alarm. This is normal.
  5. Allow the smoke alarms to finish their full test sequence without pressing any other buttons. Don’t worry – all the smoke alarms will silence automatically within 10-15 seconds.

It is not recommended to use real smoke, or any other means to test your alarms – doing so can degrade the internal photoelectric sensors, which may induce random nuisance alarming or could even reduce the smoke alarm’s overall life expectancy.

Clean your interconnected smoke alarm monthly to maximize it’s lifespan

Cleaning your interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms

In addition to testing your smoke alarms periodically, it is also important to clean them every 6 months. Here are some tips on how to clean and maintain your ZEN smoke alarms:

  1. Over time, dust and debris can accumulate on the sensors of your smoke alarm, reducing its effectiveness. Clean the smoke alarm every 6 months by gently vacuuming around it with the soft brush attachment from a vacuum cleaner, or dusting it with a soft brush. Do not apply solvents or other chemical cleaning agents on or near the smoke alarm itself, as this may confuse the sensor and induce nuisance alarms. Be sure to remove cobwebs or any other interference material from the ceiling area around your smoke alarms.
  2. All smoke alarms can be affected by extreme humidity and temperature changes. Avoid installing smoke alarms in areas such as kitchens, bathrooms or laundry rooms, where very high humidity or temperature changes can affect their performance. For example, a clothes dryer running in the laundry may increase the humidity in this room, and subsequently trigger a false alarm.
  3. Do not install smoke alarms outdoors, in partially enclosed areas, or in rooms subject to excess dust i.e. garages or workshops. Heat alarms (complimenting an existing smoke alarm system) may be more suitable for such locations.
  4. Smoke alarms have a finite lifespan and should be replaced ten years from manufacture date. The low battery beep occurs once every 60 seconds and means it is time to replace the alarm.

It is important that your interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms are installed in the correct locations within your home. It is preferable that smoke alarms are installed on the ceiling – the ‘recommended placement’ section on our website homepage provides further guidance on exactly where smoke alarms should / should not be installed (avoiding ‘dead air’ spaces etc). Smoke alarms that are not installed correctly may be prone to nuisance alarming and/or inhibited performance.

Read the instruction manual and watch the ZEN quick-start video! – the user manual contains helpful troubleshooting tips, outlines best practice for maintaining the alarms, and should definitely be read from cover to cover!

In summary..

Interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms are a crucial safety component in any home, providing early warning of smoke and fire. To ensure they function correctly over their full 10-year life cycle, it is important to test and clean them periodically. By following the tips outlined in this article, you will keep your loved ones and household possessions safe and secure from the dangers of smoke and fire. Remember, interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms are lifesaving appliances – look after them and they will look after you!

Want to know more? Watch our ZEN quick start video or call us on 0478 596 402 today.

We love talking smoke alarms!

ZEN Photoelectric Smoke Alarms