Where to put smoke/fire/CO detectors, which type to use, etc.

Hi

I've got someone coming to quote for a load of electrical work later next week. Amongst the work will be installing fire/CO alarms around the house. I'll discuss the options and details with him, but wanted to get a heads up first so I can think about the options and requirements.

I've uploaded an image of the layout of the house... I've marked where we will be having woodburners, and where the oil boiler is. The three red circles are where I was thinking makes sense for alarms/detectors...

- The kitchen is half open plan to the dining room, so one takes care of that side of the house. I guess it could go in the dining room if that's better, but it will be a lot easier to install in the kitchen because some of the floorboards above are already up. The dining on the other hand is single storey with no roof access.

- The sitting room is open to the stairwell, so I thought one on the stairwell ceiling would take care of the sitting room and upstairs.

- The utility room and studio are in the former cowshed and separated from the rest of the house by a metre thick wall. I'll spend a lot of time in the studio as it is like a living room as well. So I thought definitely one in there but wasn't sure if I needed one in the utility room as well.


I'm by no means fixed on any of that though - it's just the first idea that came to me. So I'm open to all suggestions. It would also be really helpful to know what type would be best where, in what areas CO alarms are needed, and any other useful info.

Cheers

If the Utility room will have a Washer, Drier, Ironning etc: , I would put a detector in there, and also near to the oil boiler.

Thanks Largey762.

The utility room will have a washing machine, a fridge and most likely a couple of freezers. No drier and no ironing. So with that in mind would you say yay or nay for there?

Cheers

The manufactures instructions usually give guidance on location. This is from Aico:

https://www.aico.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Ei3018-Instructions-Rev0.pdf

kitchen needs heat rise, not smoke .
sitting room needs smoke and CO
utility room needs smoke.
CO near oil boiler and maybe a smoke also.

all interlinked.

Also recommend Aico, there are other manufacturers, they have an alarm selector web page;
Alarm Selector - Aico - https://www.aico.co.uk/alarm-selector/

You can also ring their technical support, who’ll happily give you advice over the phone on alarms and locations etc.

Hi

Thanks for the responses

Well, I've just been in touch with Aico and they have been very helpful indeed. More on that below...

In the meantime...

- Seeing as the kitchen / Dining room is more or less open plan, and that the kitchen has a cooker and the dining room will have a woodburner, is there a way to have one detector cover both rooms. I'm just thinking that if the CO needs to be within 3m of the woodburner... Could I maybe put a Heat and CO combined detector no more than 3m from the woodburner or would that be too far away from the cooker then? I'll see what Aico say but am interested in any suggestions in the meantime.

- EasiChange. I was looking at these last night and they seem like a good idea. Aico have confirmed that their detectors are compatible with them, I just need to find out about other manufacturers now (unless anyone here knows?).

- Can you get combined heat, smoke and CO detectors (all 3)? I can't find any so I'm presuming not, but thought I'd ask in case anyone here has some across one.

- So back to Aico. Unfortunately they do not do combined smoke/CO detectors, so I'm going to have to look at other manufacturers for at least some of the detectors. In Aico's plan I would need 10 detectors in all, but that's because in 3 areas there are separate CO and optical smoke detectors. And perhaps one or two that are surplus to requirements elsewhere. Very helpful company indeed though.

The other thing I am now going to look into is what systems are available for telling whether detectors are being set off by smoke or CO. I'm guessing that will be pretty valuable in a mixed set up.

Cheers

Aico do a locate and test switch

Locate and Remote Control Test Switch Surface - 1529RC3 - https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/EI1529RC.html?source=adwords&ad_position=&ad_id=315107931576&placement=&kw=&network=u&matchtype=&ad_type=&product_id=EI1529RC&product_partition_id=304439246835&version=finalurl_v3&gclid=CjwKCAjwqqrmBRAAEiwAdpDXtEBjPLb44N8dzdKMVrH-IPTC42rDZ-TM-itCCtdv07fhXhV64cSbMhoCqD8QAvD_BwE

don't think you need CO near cooker. assuming it's a gas cooker, these appliances are designed as to not require venting to the outside, so i can't see any chance of CO emissions from oven and/or hob. otherwise there'd be a lot of dead bodies in kitchens. (someone correct me if i'm wrong)

Lack of fresh air to the cooker will cause it to give off CO.