Maintenance of Part 6 smoke detectors

[jakespop]

Is any annual maintenance required on domestic interlinked systems other than the regular testing?

[kurnal]

Under BS5839 part 6, for Grade D and E systems the only recommendation is for annual cleaning of the detectors. It does not specify how this should be done - you would have to check the manufacturers instructions for this and any other maunfacturers specific recommendations.

Personally I am a little surprised that there is no recommendation for testing the back up power supply arrangements in a grade D system, especially where this comprises a battery rather than a capacitor. This is particularly significant where these systems are used in a workplace rather than th epurely domestic environment for which they were designed.

[colin todd]

Kurnal, And you can test the backup power supply how? And why are people using them in workplaces (other than in a very minor respect).

[kurnal]

Just an observation Colin. We do so much huffin' and puffin' about the H&S (Safety signs and signals) Regs and the need for a back up supply it struck me that this is one element that is never tested.
I guess you would cut off the mains supply and see if the detector still worked when the test button was pressed?

We often find them in workplaces but as you say in a fairly minor way, for example to give protection to flats and HMOs above commercial premises where compartmentation is not what it should be, or as a compensating feature to open staircases in small 2 storey workplaces or in an access room/inner room situation.  And small guesthouses of course.

[Phoenix]

Could I just point out to all that the "minor" way you are talking about here is "minor" in scale but very much "not minor" in importance.  Your examples, kurnal, are life safety situations.  We do see a lot of these small scale installations in workplaces, there's no getting away from it, and they do have a very important role to play so they must be reliable if they are to meet the expectations placed upon them.

Stu