Smoke and heat alarms are your first line of defence in a house fire. Understanding the regulations helps ensure your home meets the required standard and, more importantly, that you and your family are protected.
What Do the Regulations Require?
New Builds (Building Regulations Part B)
All new build properties must have a Grade D, Category LD2 system as a minimum. This means:
- Mains-powered interlinked smoke alarms in all principal habitable rooms (living room, bedrooms, kitchen hallway)
- Heat alarm in the kitchen (where smoke alarms would false trigger from cooking)
- Battery backup in each unit in case of mains power failure
Existing Owner-Occupied Homes (Building Regulations Approved Document B)
If you are carrying out building work that requires Building Regulations approval, you may be required to upgrade your alarm system as a condition. Even without building work, following the recommendations of BS 5839 Part 6 is strongly advised.
The minimum recommendation for an existing home is:
- At least one smoke alarm on every floor
- A heat alarm in the kitchen
- Alarms interlinked (so if one triggers, all sound)
Rented Properties (The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Regulations 2022)
Since 1 October 2022, landlords in England must:
- Install at least one smoke alarm on every storey of their property
- Install a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance (boiler, gas fire, wood burner)
- Ensure all alarms are in working order at the start of each new tenancy
- Repair or replace alarms promptly following a tenant's report of a fault
The regulations do not specify mains-wired alarms for existing rented properties — battery alarms are acceptable — but mains-wired interlinked systems offer far superior protection.
Alarm Types
Battery-only — cheapest to install, but batteries can fail and some occupants disable alarms by removing batteries.
Mains-powered with battery backup (Grade D) — recommended for all properties. Powers from the mains with a rechargeable or non-rechargeable battery as backup. More reliable than battery-only.
Radio-interlinked — alarm units communicate wirelessly so all alarms sound when one triggers. Ideal for retrofitting interlinked systems without running wiring between rooms.
Wired-interlinked — alarm units connected by a wire (typically 3-core cable). Most reliable for new installations.
Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Any fixed combustion appliance — boiler, gas fire, wood burner, solid fuel stove — requires a CO detector in the same room. Battery CO detectors are acceptable, though we recommend mains-wired units where possible.
Onyx Electrical Solutions installs mains-wired interlinked smoke, heat and CO alarm systems across Greater Manchester. Call 07000 000000 for a free quote.