Tag: QLD smoke alarm legidslation

When it comes to protecting your home and family, there’s one device that quietly stands guard 24/7: your smoke alarm. But not all smoke alarms are created equal. As Queensland races towards the 2027 smoke alarm law deadline, now is the perfect time to upgrade to the gold standard—photoelectric smoke alarms.

If you’re wondering why these alarms are the preferred choice for modern Queensland homes, you’re in the right place. In fact, brands like ZEN Smoke Alarms make upgrading easier than ever with completely wireless alarms powered by a non-removable 10-year battery. That means you can DIY install them in minutes—no electrician, no hassle, no extra costs.

Let’s explore why photoelectric smoke alarms should be at the top of your home safety checklist.

What Are Photoelectric Smoke Alarms?

At their core, photoelectric smoke alarms detect smoke using a light sensor and a beam of light inside the alarm chamber. Inside the alarm, there’s a light source and a sensor positioned at an angle. When smoke enters the chamber, it scatters the light, directing it towards the sensor and triggering the alarm. This method excels at detecting smouldering fires—the type most likely to fill your home with deadly smoke while you sleep.

Think of interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms as the early warning system your home needs. They detect danger before it becomes deadly, giving you and your family precious extra minutes to escape.

Why Photoelectric Smoke Alarms Are the Preferred Choice in Queensland

1. Faster Detection of the Most Dangerous Fires

The most common cause of fire-related deaths isn’t flames—it’s smoke inhalation. Many house fires start as smouldering fires, often caused by:

  • Faulty wiring
  • Overheated appliances
  • Unattended candles
  • Cigarettes left burning

These fires can smoulder for hours, silently filling your home with lethal smoke. Photoelectric smoke alarms detect these fires much faster than old-style ionisation alarms, which are designed to respond to fast-flaming fires but often miss slow-burning ones until it’s too late.

Early detection = more time to escape = lives saved.

2. Fewer Annoying False Alarms

We’ve all experienced it: you’re cooking breakfast, the toast gets a little too crispy, and suddenly your smoke alarm is screaming like there’s a five-alarm blaze. Traditional ionisation alarms are notorious for these false alarms because they’re sensitive to even the smallest smoke particles.

Photoelectric smoke alarms are much smarter. They’re designed to detect real threats—like actual fires—while ignoring harmless cooking smoke or bathroom steam. This means:

  • Fewer false alarms
  • Less frustration
  • No more disabling alarms out of annoyance (which is extremely dangerous!)

3. Compliant with Queensland’s 2027 Smoke Alarm Laws

From January 1, 2027, Queensland’s new laws will require:

  • Photoelectric smoke alarms in every bedroom, hallway, and on every level of your home
  • Interconnected alarms, so if one goes off, they all do
  • Alarms powered by either mains electricity with battery backup or a sealed 10-year battery

If your home still has ionisation alarms—or worse, no smoke alarms—it’s time to upgrade. ZEN Smoke Alarms meet all these legal requirements, ensuring your home is not only safe but fully compliant.

4. No Electrician Needed—Save Time and Money

Here’s where ZEN Smoke Alarms really shine:

  • Completely wireless—no hardwiring required
  • Non-removable 10-year battery—no battery replacements needed
  • DIY-friendly installation—you can set them up in minutes

This means:

  • No expensive electrician bills
  • No drilling holes or running wires through your ceiling
  • Huge time and cost savings

Just mount, test, and you’re done. It’s that simple. Hardwired alarms must be used though for new house builds, substantial renos or when replacing an already hardwired smoke alarm.

5. Long-Lasting, Low-Maintenance Protection

Nobody enjoys waking up to the dreaded “low battery” chirp at 2 a.m. With ZEN’s sealed 10-year lithium battery, you won’t have to worry about that. These alarms are designed to last a full decade without any battery changes.

Less maintenance. More peace of mind.

6. Safer for You and the Environment

Unlike old ionisation alarms, which contain a small amount of radioactive material (yes, really), photoelectric smoke alarms are completely radiation-free. They’re safer for your family and easier to dispose of when they reach the end of their lifespan.

Why Choose ZEN Smoke Alarms?

At ZEN Smoke Alarms, we don’t just sell products—we’re passionate about saving lives. Here’s what sets us apart:
Photoelectric technology for faster, more reliable fire detection
Completely wireless design for easy DIY installation
Non-removable 10-year battery—no maintenance required
Certified to Australian Standard 3786:2014—fully compliant with QLD laws
Bonus remote control for easy testing and silencing
FREE fire blanket with every bundle pack purchase
Australian-owned and operated with local support—no offshore call centres

Don’t Wait Until 2027—Upgrade Your Home Now

Sure, the 2027 deadline might seem far away, but fires don’t wait for legislation. Every day without proper protection puts your family at unnecessary risk.

Order your ZEN Smoke Alarm bundle today and enjoy:
🔥 Easy, DIY installation—no electrician needed
🔥 Bonus remote control for effortless testing
🔥 FREE fire blanket to boost your home safety

When it comes to fire safety, don’t cut corners. Choose ZEN Smoke Alarms—because your family’s life is worth it.

ZEN photoelectric smoke alarms and FPAA - your symbol of trust

Want to know more? Watch our ZEN Smoke Alarm YouTube channel or call us on 0478 596 402 today

We love talking smoke alarms!

ZEN Photoelectric Smoke Alarms

New Farm, QLD, 4005

Queensland is undergoing a phased roll-out of new smoke alarm legislation, culminating in 2027. It is unsurprising then that there is misinformation regarding smoke alarm requirements – particularly surrounding the installation of wireless 10-year battery powered smoke alarms vs 240V hardwired smoke alarms.

Can I Install Wireless 10-year Battery Powered

Smoke Alarms In QLD?

YES! you can. It is legal and perfectly acceptable to install wireless 10-year battery powered smoke alarms in your Queensland home, provided you are not performing any of the 3 activities below;

  1. Constructing a new home
  2. Performing a substantial renovation
  3. Replacing an existing 240V hardwired smoke alarm

Prior to installing any photoelectric smoke alarm it is important to understand their differences and when each type is permissible. Information contained in this article is sourced directly from the QLD Government. We encourage you to view and read the legislation for yourself too – direct links to all official government sources are included at the bottom of this article.

Queensland’s Building Fire Safety (Domestic Smoke Alarms) Legislation Amendment Regulation 2016 prescribes the legal ways of powering smoke alarms for domestic dwellings. It states that both 240V hardwired smoke alarms and 10-year battery powered smoke alarms are allowed. See the excerpt below;

Queensland’s Fire Department website states that 10-year battery powered smoke alarms are acceptable, provided the three scenarios previously mentioned above are not being performed.

Advantages Of A 10-year Wireless Battery Fire Alarm

  • A wireless battery fire alarm powered by a 10-year non-removeable battery can be easily DIY installed and don’t require the expense of an electrician.
  • As the battery is sealed inside the smoke alarm (non-removeable) it lasts for the entire 10-year lifespan of the alarm and never needs to be replaced – no more annoying low battery chirp. After 10 years the whole alarm is simply swapped out for a new one.
  • Added versatility through wireless RF interconnection. In some situations it is physically impossible to install 240V hardwired alarms – i.e. where there are solid concrete ceilings or no roof cavity.

Do QLD Smoke Alarms Need To Be Hardwired By 2027?

NO, they don’t. Although there are a lot of houses built in Queensland that require hardwired smoke alarms, there are just as many that have the option to use wireless 10-year battery powered photoelectric smoke alarms and still be 100% compliant.

When Must I Install a 240V Hardwired Smoke Alarm In QLD?

There are 3 situations in Queensland where it is a statutory requirement for 240V hardwired smoke alarms to be installed in a domestic dwelling (and 10-year battery powered smoke alarms may not be used). Outside of these 3 scenarios it is acceptable to install 10-year battery powered smoke alarms in your home.

1) If You Are Constructing A New Home

If you are constructing a new home in QLD then hardwired smoke alarms are required as part of the building approval process. Queensland’s Building Regulation 2021 states that when constructing a new home, the smoke alarms must be hardwired to the domestic dwelling’s electricity supply.

2) If You Are Performing A Substantial Renovation

The Queensland Fire Services Act 1990 states that hardwired smoke alarms must be installed when a substantial renovation is being performed to a domestic dwelling.

3) If You Are Replacing An Existing Hardwired Smoke Alarm

The Queensland Fire Services Act 1990 also states that if a pre-existing smoke alarm being replaced was hardwired to the domestic dwelling’s electricity supply, then the replacement smoke alarm must be hardwired to the dwelling’s electricity supply.

Outside of the 3 scenarios described above, it is legal and perfectly acceptable in QLD to install wireless interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms which are

powered by a non-removeable 10-year battery.

Want to do some further reading? Links to all official sources in this article are provided below.

You may also want to check out our other blog post ‘What do the QLD smoke alarm laws actually state?

QLD Building Fire Safety (Domestic Smoke Alarms) Legislation Amendment Regulation 2016

States that both 240V hardwired smoke alarms and 10-year battery powered smoke alarms are allowed in domestic QLD dwellings.

QLD Building Regulation 2021

States that when constructing a new home in QLD, the smoke alarms must be hardwired to the domestic dwelling’s electricity supply.

QLD Fire and Services Act 1990 (formerly known as the QLD Fire and Emergency Services Act 1990)

States hardwired smoke alarms must be installed when performing a substantial renovation or replacing an existing hardwired smoke alarm.

QLD Fire Department website – 2027 Smoke Alarm Legislation Fact Sheet

States that interconnected smoke alarms must be either hardwired or powered by a non-removable 10 year battery, or a combination of both may be allowed.

States that existing hardwired smoke alarms that need replacement must be replaced with a hardwired smoke alarm.

Want to know more? Watch our ZEN Smoke Alarm YouTube channel or call us on 0478 596 402 today

We love talking smoke alarms!

ZEN Photoelectric Smoke Alarms

New Farm, QLD, 4005

Queensland has the most stringent smoke alarm laws in the nation. These laws have been amended and updated over time due to several tragic fires which have resulted in significant loss of life.

Queensland Smoke Alarm Legislation

The two main pieces of legislation in Queensland are the;

  • Fire Services Act 1990 (previously known as the Fire and Emergency Services Act 1990)
  • Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008

The objectives of the legislation are to ensure that all fire safety installations (including interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms) within a building are maintained, and to ensure that people can safely evacuate from a building in the event of a fire.

Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008 – Smoke Alarms

Part 5A of the QLD Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008 deals specifically with photoelectric smoke alarm requirements for domestic dwellings. It states that smoke alarms must;

  • Comply with the Australian Standard (AS 3786:2014).
  • Contain a photoelectric sensor, and not also contain an ionization sensor.
  • Be either hardwired into the building’s main power supply or powered by a non-removable minimum 10-year lifespan battery.

Where Should Photoelectric Smoke Alarms Be Installed?

Part 5A also states exactly where photoelectric smoke alarms must be installed inside a domestic dwelling (prescribed locations). It says that photoelectric smoke alarms must be installed in;

  • each bedroom.
  • the hallway which connects each bedroom.
  • if there is no hallway connecting each bedroom, then a part of the storey that is between the
    bedroom and the rest of the dwelling.
  • for each storey with no bedrooms—on the most likely travel path of exit from the dwelling.

Where Shouldn’t Photoelectric Smoke Alarms Be Installed?

Part 5A (3) also provides exact distances and measurements where photoelectric smoke alarms should / should not be installed. It states that photoelectric smoke alarms must not be installed;

  • within 300mm of a light fitting.
  • within 300mm of a corner of the ceiling and a wall.
  • within 400mm of an opening from which air is supplied from an air conditioner or forced air vent.
  • within 400mm of the blades of a ceiling fan.

Fire Services Act 1990 – Photoelectric Smoke Alarms

In addition to the above, Division 5A of the QLD Fire Services Act 1990 (previously named the Fire and Emergency Services Act 1990) stipulates that from 1st January 2022 all rental properties and properties being sold in Queensland must have photoelectric smoke alarms which;

  • Are less than 10 years old.
  • Operate when tested.
  • Be interconnected with every other smoke alarm in the building so that all activate together.

If the smoke alarm being replaced was hardwired to the domestic dwelling’s electricity supply, the new replacement smoke alarm must also be hardwired to the dwelling’s electricity supply and be a photoelectric smoke alarm. Any newly constructed homes or substantial renovations must have interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms which are hardwired to the mains power supply. A definition of a ‘substantial renovation’ is provided within the Act.

Furthermore, these interconnected photoelectric smoke alarm requirements will become mandatory for ALL dwellings in Queensland by 1st January 2027.

Photoelectric Smoke Alarms In QLD Rental Properties

With respect to QLD rental properties, in addition to all the above points, the Act also states that;

  • The lessor must test each smoke alarm within 30 days before the start of a tenancy in a domestic dwelling.
  • The tenant must test each smoke alarm in the dwelling at least once every 12 months.
  • If the tenant is aware a smoke alarm in the dwelling has failed, the tenant must advise the lessor as soon as practicable.
  • The tenant must clean each smoke alarm at least once every 12 months.

Direct links to the QLD government website are posted below if you would like to read the full legislative documents for yourself.

QLD Building Fire Safety Regulations 2008 (current as at 01 July 2024)
QLD Fire Services Act 1990 (current as at 01 July 2024)

Want to know more? Watch our ZEN Smoke Alarm YouTube channel or call us on 0478 596 402 today

We love talking smoke alarms!

ZEN Photoelectric Smoke Alarms

New Farm, QLD, 4005

These new QLD smoke alarm laws have been implemented due to several fires which have tragically resulted in multiple fatalities in each instance.

Coronial inquest findings noted that had each property been fitted with functioning interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms in prescribed locations, the occupants may have stood a better chance of survival.

Early smoke / fire detection improves escape time from a burning building. During a fire emergency, it was not only the heat and flames themselves which presented a life-threatening hazard, many victims were first overcome by an accumulation of smoke and toxic fumes.

Russell Island House Fire – Brisbane 2023

In the early morning of 6th August 2023, Emergency Services were called to a house fire on Russell Island, just off Brisbane’s southeast coast. The cause of the house fire remains undetermined, however it resulted in the loss of six lives – five young boys and their father who returned to the inferno in an attempt to rescue his children. The fire also destroyed two neighbouring homes and left several people needing treatment for burns and smoke inhalation.

The landlord and home owner was subsequently charged and fined for failing to install legally required and compliant interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms in the Queensland rental property.

Slacks Creek House Fire – Brisbane 2011

Just before midnight on 23rd August 2011, an accidental fire ripped through a house in Slacks Creek, South Brisbane.

The fire was to cause the greatest loss of life in a domestic house fire in Australian history, with a total of 11 people (including many children) perishing due to smoke inhalation.

A finding from the 2014 Coronial Inquest stated that;
‘Once this particular fire started, it is likely that some or all of the deaths would have been prevented if the sleeping occupants had been quickly awoken and had realised that they needed to leave the house as quickly as possible … smoke alarms were either not present in the dwelling or were not maintained’.

Many recommendations from the Coronial Inquest were incorporated into the QLD Building Fire Safety (Domestic Smoke Alarms) Legislation Amendment Regulation 2016.

The legislation itself may be viewed at the Queensland Government website below;
https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/pdf/asmade/sl-2016-0221

Palace Backpackers Fire – Childers 2000

On 23rd June 2000 at 1am a disgruntled resident deliberately lit a fire inside the Palace Backpackers Hostel in Childers, southeast Queensland.

The fire spread rapidly throughout the old timber building and the hostel did not have working photoelectric smoke detectors or alarms. The result? 15 young people sadly lost their lives. The arsonist was captured by police and sentenced to life in prison. The devastating effect of this event is still evident on the local township to this day.

Want to know more? Watch our ZEN Smoke Alarm YouTube channel or call us on 0478 596 402 today

We love talking smoke alarms!

ZEN Photoelectric Smoke Alarms

New Farm, QLD, 4005