Smoke Alarm Installation Melbourne

Need New Smoke Alarms Installed? 1st Call Electrical is here to help

Over the past decade, Victorian firefighters have responded to more than 30,000 housefires across the state. A small fire can spread to the whole room in a matter of minutes. A working smoke alarm provides you with an early warning and gives you and your family time to escape.

At 1st Call Electrical, we provide a complete range of smoke alarm installation, replacement and maintenance services across Melbourne, ensuring your home is up to date and safe for years to come.

To speak to one of our professional electricians and get a free quote, give us a call on 1300 106 671 or complete our online enquiry form.

New Smoke Alarm Requirements In Victoria

Understanding the latest rules and regulations could save your life and help you to avoid expensive penalties. The latest Victoria smoke alarm laws are:

• Smoke alarms must be installed in every residential building. This includes apartments, townhouses, units and flats.
• Homes built after 1 August 1997, or homes that have gone through major renovations or extensions, must have smoke alarms connected to 240-volt main power with a battery backup.
• Residential properties built after 1 May 2014, or homes that have undergone major extensions and renovations, must have interconnected smoke alarms.

Placement of Smoke Alarms Within Your Home

Victorian fire services recommend that smoke alarms be installed inside all bedrooms. For optimum smoke detection, it’s recommended that each smoke alarm be placed on the ceiling, close to the centre of the room and at least 30cm away from the wall.

It’s important to install your smoke alarms in the right places. Smoke alarms don’t save lives if they’re far away or have a missing battery. To maxmise their effectiveness, don’t install your smoke alarms in:

• Outside your kitchen as general cooking smoke and steam will trigger the alarm
• In your bathroom or en-suite as steam from your hot showers or baths can activate the alarm
• In or outside your laundry room
• Near doors or windows that are near an outdoor barbeque
• Above heating or cooling ducts, ceiling fans, doors and windows. The excessive air movement can prevent smoke from reaching your alarm, putting you and your family at risk.

If you are unsure where to install your smoke alarms, our team are happy to help. Contact us today on 1300 016 671 or fill out our online enquiry form.

Types of Smoke Alarms

Hardwired or 240V Smoke Alarms

Sometimes referred to as mains powered smoke alarms, hardwired smoke alarms are connected to your home's mains power supply and have a backup battery for use during a power outage. This removes the need to remember to change batteries once a year and makes them harder to tamper with.

Photoelectric Smoke Alarms

Fire services throughout Australia, including Melbourne's Metropolitan Fire Brigade, recommend the use of photoelectric smoke alarms over ionisation alarms. Photoelectric alarms respond faster than other types of alarm, are less prone to cause false alarms and are very effective in detecting smouldering fires providing residents with the earliest possible warning system.

Smoke alarms must be located throughout your home in these locations:

• on or near the ceiling of every storey
• outside the bedrooms between the living and sleeping areas
• inside each bedroom especially if the occupant sleeps with the door closed, uses electrical equipment or heaters inside the room, smokes in the bedroom, uses noisy equipment like air conditioners, TVs or music which may mask the sound of a smoke alarm.
• in sleepouts or external sleeping areas

Find out more - Where should smoke alarms be installed?

Smoke Alarm Maintenance in Melbourne

We all know how annoying that obnoxious chirping noise can be. But ignoring it can cost you your life. The chirping means that your smoke alarm’s battery is almost flat and needs to be replaced immediately.

Most smoke alarms have a 10-year expiry date, and that goes for every model, whether it’s hard wired or battery-operated. Our technicians recommend that you test your smoke alarms every month, clean them once a year and if they are battery-operated, replace the 9-volt battery annually.

Upfront and Fair Pricing

At 1st Call Electrical, we understand that installing or replacing your smoke alarms isn’t always at the front of your mind. This is why our licensed technicians always offer upfront and honest quotes. Before any work begins, we will walk you through what will happen so you know exactly where your money is being spent on.

Your Local and Trusted Smoke Alarm Experts Throughout Melbourne

For comprehensive and reliable smoke alarm installation services across Melbourne, contact our highly trained technicians on 1300 016 671 or fill out our online enquiry form today.