connecting CO alarms to smoke alarms

[newfutile]

any BS 5839 experts know whether CO alarms should be connected to the smoke/heat alarm system ? after completing an efixx CPD it seems they should not be , however multi alarms detectors exist with an optical and CO alarm in one unit and while that unit on the aico lights up to indicated CO or smoke/fire , how would the occupants know whether to ventilate ie for CO or to close doors for fire if they cant see that detector?

 

[littlespark]

As far as the Scottish regs are concerned (as that’s all I know) Co detectors can be linked, but they don’t have to be…. Whereas smoke and heat detectors must be interlinked.

I know the aico multi alarm have a visual indication to say whether it’s co or fire…. So I guess if you can’t see the detector for smoke, then the bets are it’s a fire…. If it’s ringing and there’s no smoke… it could be the co….

Either way, I’d be getting out the house.


I also think the alarms make a different pattern of noise.

 

[brianmoooore]

Potentially dangerous to link, IMHO.
Smoke alarm means get out NOW, and stay out until the cause of the alarm is known. Fires can develop from smouldering to life endangering in a minute or so.
CO alarm means open the windows, check on anyone in different rooms in the house and investigate what might be the cause. No immediate danger to life if the CO alarms are properly sited near all potential sources of CO.

 

[oscar21]

They emit a different sound when its a CO alarm but unless you are a veteran of house fires or getting gassed to death I can't imagine you would be able to tell the difference when you are awoken in a panic at 3AM by all the alarms going off.

 

[brianmoooore]

They emit a different sound when its a CO alarm

P's question is about linking CO and smoke/heat alarms.
CO alarm sound is different from smoke/heat alarms, but I doubt if the sound made by a smoke alarm is any different from the usual if triggered by a CO alarm in a different place.
CO alarms start to sound at a concentration of CO much lower than you will feel any effects in the short term, so there's no great rush to evacuate, unlike with a smoke alarm.
It's nothing unusual for the CO alarm in my touring caravan to start to chirp if the gas hob is used for any length of time with the doors and windows closed.

 

[oscar21]

I think they do change sounds if the CO detector operates, so the sound would be the CO beep throughout the property and not the usual smoke sound.

 

[SparkyChick]

I've spoken to Aico technical a couple of times about this and their answer has always been if you are going to mix detector types (i.e. fire and carbon monoxide) on one system, install a test and locate switch to allow ready identification of the detector that triggered the alarm.

 

[littlespark]

I've spoken to Aico technical a couple of times about this and their answer has always been if you are going to mix detector types (i.e. fire and carbon monoxide) on one system, install a test and locate switch to allow ready identification of the detector that triggered the alarm.

They would say that though… means you have to buy another device.

Most of the new aico ones now have audiolink built in, so you can download all the alarm triggers from individual detectors….. if the house hasn’t burned down in the meantime.

 

[nicebutdim]

They would say that though… means you have to buy another device.

Most of the new aico ones now have audiolink built in, so you can download all the alarm triggers from individual detectors….. if the house hasn’t burned down in the meantime.

The wired switch isn't too expensive and won't need to be replaced when a battery expires. The downside is they're quite ugly, but worth considering for landings where it could quickly be used in the middle of the night.

 

[newfutile]

I also enquired this at aico technical , they said : they would normally discourage this practise due to the different actions the resident should take in CO vs Smoke alarm. They then said its an advantage to hear the CO alarm and talk about the Ei1529RC, and also if RF modules are in use the sound of the CO will be mimicked by the smoke alarms.

 

[nicebutdim]

I guess Aico technical might provide different answers, depending on the range an enquiry pertains to. Given that 3000 series includes a combined heat/CO detector which is intended to be linked with other heat and smoke detectors in a domestic installation, I can't imnagine they'd discourage the use of their own detectors in the very situations for which they have been designed.