Do wireless smoke alarms comply with BS 5839?

[mikkey]

Hi All - a general HMO / fire alarm / retrofit question.

I am going to fit an L2 fire alarm system to a 3 storey property which may be viewed as an HMO. One of the tendering contractors has specified a wireless smoke alarm system. The smoke alarms, heat sensors and call points will all be battery powered (Lithium) and will not require mains wiring. The control panel and emergency lighting will be mains powered.

This proposal is attractive to me because of the ease of retrofit and lack of disturbance / cabling to the property. However my concern is that a system relying on batteries (even long life lithium batteries) might not be regarded as satisfactory.

My question is simply whether such a system would comply with BS5839 and be generally acceptable to a Local Authority licencing an HMO.

Thanks for any views offered.

Mikkey

[Chris Houston]

Wireless systems can comply with BS 5839.

I think you will still need hardwired power to the booster stations.  The location and quantity of these will be dependant on the ability of the radio signal to get around the building.

The downside is the more expensive maintenance due to battery changing and more prone to faults due to battery failure.

[kurnal]

Radio linked systems are recognised in BS5839 part 1. The BS has a couple of pages of recommendations and comparisons. Radio systems are developing faster than the BS though.

I have been closely involved in radio installations in two stately homes- these were early technology 10-15 years ago and were frankly a nightmare. High ceilings, poor battery technology, cold temperatures causing reductions in battery efficiency, radio immunity and shielding were the main problems. But things have changed and lithium batteries should have made a huge impact now.  But I still believe that conventional systems are cheaper and more reliable for most buildings.

I wonder if with the new lithium batteries the BS committee would still ask for duplicate power supplies to equipment? They used to ask for a main and a backup battery.

I do recommend a fair few Part 6 radio linked systems for holiday cottages to save the disruption of interlinking wiring. They are great- how would these go down in a HMO? Should not be a problem.

BS5839 part 1 has 4 pages of recommendations relating to radio linked systems- email me if you would like a fax copy of these 4 pages.

[John Dragon]

Try speaking to "EMS" - a company specialising in high quality radio fire alarms, not cheap but generally regarded as the best in the field, email addy below-

jeff.watkins@emsgroup.co.uk

[Les Potter(elementalfire)]

Another downside to wireless fire alarm systems that i have recently come across, where in a london borough a hotel had a wireless system fitted throughout a complicated building and connected it to redcare, the local are was high in vandalism and burgulary and many of the residents have intruder alarms, this particular system clashed with the intruder alarms an caused 15 false alarms in 10 days.

[jayjay]

There has been a number of wireless systems installed in some of the premises I look after.

Although the initial cost may be higher they are more versatile as additions and changes can be easily made.
There are no redecoration costs as the units are simply secured to the ceiling and walls without cable runs.
The effectiveness of the system depends on the intial survey where  tests are carried out for quality of signals and these test can be set to run for 24hours to ensure that any external interference is detected.

Of all the sytems we have had installed non have proved to be problematic.

There is another bonus if you decide to vacate the premises or relocate you can easily take the system with you.

[jokar]

For wireless systems, the survey is the most important part.  If that is correct the rest will follow and they all meet the requiremetnts of BS 5839 part 1 2002.  No decor problems, no acres of cables, no worry about how the cables should be held up and the devices talk to each other all the time.

[mikkey]

Guys

Thanks for all your comments - really helpful.

Kurnal thanks for the offer of the BS pages - I just picked up a copy today from work and so I will look out the four pages you refer to.

John thanks for the EMS contact I will follow that up.

If anyone else has a view please keep them coming.

Cheers

Mikkey

[davio1960]

Prohibition served in the morning on a 3 storey HMO.
By 7pm a wirefree minimum standard fire alarm system with detectors, call points and a silencing mechanism was installed...was this a record or can anyone black cat it!
Yes it was a Friday!
Davio

[mikkey]

Hi davio - Interesting

That was my next question - if wireless systems can comply with BS 5839 are they also generally acceptable to Local Authorities in HMOs or do LAs tend to insist upon hard wired systems?

Mikkey

[jokar]

Mikkey, they cannot insist on anything other than a BS 5839 part 1 2002 system.  That includes wireless technology and therefore it is suitable for all apllications dependent on the initial survey.