It is a sad fact that house fires happen throughout north Brisbane and on the Sunshine Coast all too regularly. These dangerous events could happen any time of the day or night – even when we’re sleeping. Properly installed and working smoke alarms are an important part of keeping your family safe. The professional northside electricians at Blue Electrical are discovering that a lot of people, in particular landlords and real estate agents, are not up to speed with the new smoke alarm rules. With literally thousands of rental properties and private residences throughout Brisbane’s northside and on the Sunshine Coast, the rush is on to get compliant or risk steep fines. The updated Queensland laws state all dwellings being leased, re-leased or sold need to install interconnected smoke alarms before 1st January 2022. All other dwellings, including owner occupied homes, must achieve full compliance by 1 January 2027.
Properly installed, fully functioning and well-maintained interconnected smoke alarms are the best method of saving lives in the event of a house fire which are all too common in north Brisbane and on the Sunshine Coast. Interconnected smoke alarms sound simultaneously so when one goes off, they all go off. This gives people in different rooms in the property extra time to escape a dangerous fire. The new smoke alarm legislation for Queensland states that the interconnection of smoke alarms is allowed to be either wired or wireless. This is great news for those in suburbs such as North Lakes and surrounds where properties are more modern and tend to have more rooms.
About The New Smoke Alarm Legislation
The Queensland government has enacted new smoke alarm legislation which will affect every rental property and other dwellings that are sold after 1st January 2022. Vendors selling a property in north Brisbane or on the Sunshine Coast will also need to submit a Form 24 to the government clearly stating that all the new smoke alarm requirements are fulfilled according to the revised law. Owner occupied properties will also have to comply with the new smoke alarm legislation by 2027 or risk their home insurance being null and void. In areas such as North Lakes, it’s especially important to remain compliant due to large insurance premiums paid. The licensed and insured local electricians at Blue Electrical can help install, repair and replace the required interconnected smoke alarms in your home or rental property anywhere in north Brisbane or the Sunshine Coast to ensure you meet these requirements. Our electrical contractors are specialists when it comes to all smoke alarm services and to ensure the safety of your family, all alarms should be installed by a professional electrical technician. In fact, it is law that only a licensed electrician can install hard-wired smoke alarms in Queensland. The deadline for installing interconnected smoke alarms in your home or rental property is nearly here, so it’s important to understand your legal obligations.
Summary of New Queensland Smoke Alarm Legislation
According to the new smoke alarm laws in Queensland, interconnected smoke alarms must be installed:
- On every level
- In every bedroom
- Throughout hallways connecting the bedroom to other areas in the home
- In dwellings without a hallway, interconnected smoke alarms must be installed in areas between the bedrooms and different parts of the other levels
- If a home does not have any bedrooms on a given level, then a minimum of one interconnected smoke alarm needs to be situated according to the most probable escape route from the property
- Importantly, every individual smoke alarm must be a photoelectric type
- Additionally, every interconnected smoke alarm is required to be hard-wired to the mains power supply including a battery backup or alternatively they must use at least a 10 year non-removable lithium battery
As shown above, the updated smoke alarm legislation is quite stringent and will require considerable effort on the part of north Brisbane and Sunshine Coast landlords, property managers, real estate agents and homeowners to gain compliance.
Smoke Alarm Legislation Questions
While out in the field around north Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, our local Master Electricians and smoke alarm technicians often need to explain the new rules and regulations about smoke detector installation and upgrades to domestic homeowners and others. Therefore, the fully licensed and insured electricians at Blue Electrical compiled these frequently asked questions to assist those living on Brisbane’s northside and the Sunshine Coast get compliant with the new laws and keep people and property safe if there’s ever a fire.
What Type of Smoke Alarms Do I have To Install?
The new laws specify that photoelectric smoke alarms must be used. These type of smoke alarms actually ‘see’ smoke by detecting visible particles and are particularly effective at responding to smoky smouldering fires. Photoelectric type smoke alarms are highly effective at sounding early warning of a fire thereby giving everyone more time to escape to safety.
What Do I Need To Do Before Selling My Home?
If you’re planning on selling your house, you must replace the current smoke alarms with a compliant hard-wired or battery-powered photoelectric smoke alarm. During the sales process, all owners of residential properties must submit a Form 24 to Queensland’s Land Registry Office. The Form 24 must clearly state that all aspects of the new smoke alarm legislation have been complied with.
What Is The Maximum Number Of Smoke Alarms That Can Be Interconnected?
In a hard-wired system, the maximum amount of interconnected smoke alarms is set at 12. However, with a wireless system, we can usually pair a maximum of 40 smoke alarms. Our licensed smoke alarm electricians will be able to offer professional advice suited to your specific property
Do I Need An Electrician To Install My Smoke Alarms?
In a nutshell – yes! Government legislation stipulates that all tasks involving the any electrical systems on a property must be carried out by a fully licensed and insured electrician. This also includes any work on your smoke alarms as they are an important safety device in your home and must be properly installed and functioning correctly.
Are There Specific Smoke Alarms For The Hearing Impaired?
Due to not being able to hear a sounding smoke alarm, the licensed electricians at Blue Electrical can install smoke alarms that use visual prompts such as strobe lights instead of audio. These are ideal for helping evacuate deaf people during a house fire.
Smoke Alarm Installation And Smoke Detector Upgrade Electricians
Blue Electrical are your local licensed Master Electricians and can help homes or rental properties in north Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast prepare for the coming legislative change. Our specialist smoke alarm technicians have over 20 years’ electrical industry experience and are fully insured to undertake all electrical work including smoke alarm installation, smoke detector upgrades, replacement and testing. With the help of our licensed electrical contractors, you can ensure your buildings are compliant with the new smoke alarm legislation before the 1 January 2022 deadline. Book your smoke alarm service or upgrade today by calling 0423 627 680, emailing admin@blueelectrical.com.au or booking online.
Whatever you do – don’t leave it to the last minute as you could save the life of a loved one.