Smoke alarms and heat alarms need to be replaced after 10 years. In that time manufacturers often discontinue and update their ranges, making the selection of your replacements a difficult choice. The alarms below have been carefully researched and chosen as the most suitable substitutes for your outgoing detectors. In most cases they can be installed on the very same base as your old alarm and will be fully compatible with any interlinking system that you already have in place. These units can usually be removed and replaced by the user without the need for an electrician.
Please Note: In some cases the manufacturer discontinues the base as well as the alarm itself. The replacement of mains powered alarm bases will require the skills of an electrician, but any existing interlink can typically be preserved even between old and new models. This ensures that your new alarm will continue to work with the rest of your alarm system and enable you to replace a single alarm without worrying about compatibility.
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A number of studies assessed the impact of ageing on smoke alarms.
A nationwide study was undertaken by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in the USA and found that after ten years only 73% of smoke alarms was still working. Ageing alarms may experience sensitivity drifting, which may, in turn, result in an increased frequency of accidental activation.
Canada's Ontario Housing Corporation carried out a study supporting saying that after 30 years, nearly all the smoke alarms will have failed. They conclude that replacement after ten years, with roughly a 30% probability of failure, is an appropriate balance between safety and cost.
All our manufacturers recommend a replacement of the smoke alarms (or at least of the smoke alarm heads) every 10 years.
