Smoke Detectors - Own Circuit or Lighting?

[Had8Lives]

Had my ELECSA assessment yesterday and passed. The assessor mentioned it was preferable to put the smoke alarms on a lighting circuit. Thing is, in the building regs Document B 1.19 about power supplies(in brief) it says can be supplied either direct from the board or from a lighting circuit, but there should be a means of isolating power to the smoke alarms without isolating the lighting. What's the difference? The smoke alarms could still get left switched off :-o Although I agree you would notice if a fault made the lights go out. I'm thinking I should supply one light (such as the hall) from the RCBO for the smoke alarms and in addition to labelling up the board correctly, stick a note on the board warning that the hall light is seperate from the rest of downstairs lights.

 

[rapier]

I put it on a dedicated circuit as mentioned above the smoke's i use they bleep when no power is present and being run on batterys, just the way i do it.

 

[sparks1234]

What is the advantage of puttingit on a dedicated circuit?. I would have thought the advantage of being on a shared circuit outweighs dedicated supply

 

[irishsailor]

If it is on it own circuit the consumer has the ability to switch if off, which is dangerous, however if if it on a lighting circuit they cant just isolate it

Irish

 

[sparks1234]

Why not put it on a lighting circuit with a key switch next to the consume unit

 

[Spudnik]

Why a key switch?

 

[irishsailor]

I was at Elex in Exeter and Electrical Safety Council seminar recommended putting on lighting circuit and not on its own rcbo

 

[sparks1234]

Why a key switch?

everyone seems to want some isolation

 

[irishsailor]

It is a life saving bit of equipment so isolation is not an option I would suggest??

 

[sparks1234]

It is a life saving bit of equipment so isolation is not an option I would suggest??

What about emergency lights then

 

[Mac]

What about emergency lights then

You wouldn't have emergency lights in a domestic property(residential).Smokes should always be kept on there own circuit(RCBO) protected.Each to there own

 

[rapier]

If it is on it own circuit the consumer has the ability to switch if off, which is dangerous, however if if it on a lighting circuit they cant just isolate it

Irish

It is a life saving bit of equipment so isolation is not an option I would suggest??

If the customer decides to switch off and doesnt know its a life saving equipment then they will be screwed when a fire breaks out.

 

[neil2jo]

Taken from the NICEIC tech manual

Clause 15.5(a) of BS 5839-6: 2004 recommends that the normal supply for a Grade D system should be derived from the public electricity supply, either via an independent circuit at the dwelling’s main distribution board with no other electrical equipment connected, other than a dedicated monitoring device to indicate failure of the normal supply, or a separately protected regularly used local lighting circuit. Clause 15.5(a) of BS 5839-6: 2004 recommends that the normal supply for a Grade D system should be derived from the public electricity supply, either via an independent circuit at the dwelling’s main distribution board with no other electrical equipment connected, other than a dedicated monitoring device to indicate failure of the normal supply, or a separately protected regularly used local lighting circuit.

So no to putting it on a lighting circuit

 

[andyb]

Taken from the NICEIC tech manual

Clause 15.5(a) of BS 5839-6: 2004 recommends that the normal supply for a Grade D system should be derived from the public electricity supply, either via an independent circuit at the dwelling’s main distribution board with no other electrical equipment connected, other than a dedicated monitoring device to indicate failure of the normal supply, or a separately protected regularly used local lighting circuit. Clause 15.5(a) of BS 5839-6: 2004 recommends that the normal supply for a Grade D system should be derived from the public electricity supply, either via an independent circuit at the dwelling’s main distribution board with no other electrical equipment connected, other than a dedicated monitoring device to indicate failure of the normal supply, or a separately protected regularly used local lighting circuit.

So no to putting it on a lighting circuit

neil, your own post would sugest that you can use a regulary used local lighting circuirt.

either via an independent circuit at the dwelling’s main distribution board with no other electrical equipment connected, other than a dedicated monitoring device to indicate failure of the normal supply,or a separately protected regularly used local lighting circuit.

 

[andyd55]

My smokes are on there own independent circuit and will beep when no power is available and the led on them changes to red.