If your smoke alarm is sounding continuously, first check there is no smoke or fire in your property. If no fire or smoke is present, or the alarm is beeping intermittently, there are three main reasons why this may be happening:
Read our in-depth smoke alarm troubleshooting guide to find a full list of reasons and solutions.
Our radio-interlinked alarms are designed to have 12 smoke alarm units interlinked with each other in any one series. However the alarms are able to recognise more than 11 other smoke alarms but there will just be no visual confirmation on each unit when going through the initial house coding procedure. Interlinking 12 alarms with 6 call points should work together providing each unit is no more than a 30m distance apart. Larger distances can be covered by using one of the smoke alarms in repeater mode, activated by flicking a switch.
Several RF smoke alarms form a group which has the ability to recognise each other's signals. If one of these alarms detects fire, it sends a digitally coded signal to the other alarms which then also sound an alarm. Radio-interlinked smoke alarms are used in larger houses, small commercial premises and wherever there is a risk that not everybody in the building will hear a fire alarm from a different part of the building.
Radio-interlinked smoke alarms replace the signal cable between alarms with RF communication. A radio signal is sent when the test button is pressed, or the alarm senses smoke. This is received by all the interlinked alarms in the system and will cause all alarms to sound.
Make sure rooms and heaters are well ventilated, have your chimneys and flues checked regularly, make sure boilers and heaters are maintained and serviced regularly. Buy a carbon monoxide alarm/detector. A carbon monoxide alarm will measure the concentration of carbon monoxide in a room and sound an alarm if the CO concentration is higher than permitted
There are a number of possibilities why mains powered smoke alarms might beep after an install:
Read our smoke alarm troubleshooting guide to find a full list of reasons and solutions.
Generally, the process for interlinking hardwired alarms is the same. Firstly, you need to make sure that the alarms you are purchasing are compatible with each other, as alarms from different manufacturers (in most cases) do not mix. Dependent on the manufacturer's instructions, you will then be advised to use either a length of bell wire / twin cable to serve as an interlink cable, or 3-core and earth (which is usually adopted in newer installations).
In the same way as interlinking hardwired alarms, it is still crucial to check compatibility between alarms for systems that link wirelessly. The way in which radio-interlinked alarms are connected can differ from brand to brand, however there will be instructions included with the alarm to guide you through the interlinking process. No signal cables are required between radio-interlinked alarms.
Related videos:
For a hardwired connection throughout the property, the Ei128R 5A relay base and Ei128RBU 5A relay with backup battery from Aico / Ei Electronics work in conjunction with the Ei140 series (alkaline backup) and Ei3000 series (lithium backup) mains-powered smoke, heat, and combination alarms. The alarms must be interlinked to the relay via a wired connection but can be installed directly on top of the relay to "hide" it, or separately from the relay if the location of the alarm is not a convenient place to connect with the GSM dialer.
If a wired connection between the relay and alarm is not feasible or desirable, but mains power is available, any RadioLINK-capable alarm from Aico or Ei Electronics such as the Ei600RF battery-powered series, Ei140RF mains-powered series with alkaline backup using the Ei168RC radio base, or Ei3000RF mains-powered series with lithium backup using the Ei3000MRF radio module can be wirelessly connected with the Ei428 radio-interlink relay with backup battery instead. The Ei428 still needs its own mains power feed, but does not need a direct hardwire connection to any alarm, making installation much more flexible.
Please Note: If you want the GSM dialer to operate during mains power failures it would need its own backup power source, and you must use either the Ei128RBU or Ei428 relays which also have their own backup batteries.
In order to work effectively, CO detectors:
Please see our video on where to install a CO detector for information on how to fit your CO alarm to the wall.
The reason why the LED light on your smoke alarm is flashing or blinking red (or green) will vary depending on the model and manufacturer. The best option is to check the instruction manual for your specific smoke alarm model. Smoke alarm instruction manuals are available to download on the ‘Technical Data’ tab on most of our smoke alarm product pages.
In some models of smoke detector a red or green LED light flashes periodically without an alarm sounding to show that it is receiving power and is operating normally. Other reasons for smoke alarms flashing red or green could include an end of life or low battery warning, to indicate that the alarm is in hush mode or that there is a fault with the alarm.
The easiest option would be to use hardwired alarms from Aico / Ei Electronics in conjunction with their relay bases. The Ei140 series (alkaline backup) and Ei3000 series (lithium backup) mains-powered smoke, heat, and combination alarms interlink with each other and are compatible with the Ei128R 5A relay base and Ei128RBU 5A relay with backup battery. The relays must be connected to the alarms via a wired interlink but are flexible in terms of location: they can be installed separately from the alarm in a convenient place to connect with the retainer system, or between the alarm's mounting base and ceiling to "hide" the relay.
If a wired connection to the alarm is not feasible or desirable, but mains power is available, the Ei428 radio-interlink relay with backup battery instead connects wirelessly with any RadioLINK-capable alarm from Aico or Ei Electronics. This would allow for both mains-powered (alkaline / lithium) and battery-powered alarms to be used to operate the magnetic door retainer system.
These relay bases are triggered when the connected alarm activates, and would be installed and connected to the magnetic door retainer system (by a competent electrician) in such a way that the retainer is deactivated or power to the retainer is cut. This would allow the automatic door closer to do its job: closing the fire door and slowing the spread of smoke and fire through the building, helping occupants to escape safely.
Please Note: If the magnetic door holder has a backup power source so that it continues to operate during mains power failures, relays with their own backup batteries, such as the Ei128RBU or Ei428 relay, are required.
Please see our smoke and CO detector videos for instructions on how to replace the battery for different alarm models.
Prolonged exposure to carbon monoxide levels of 10ppm (parts per million) or above is shown to have adverse effects on the body and brain.
Concentration of CO in the air | Implications of Exposure |
---|---|
10 parts per million (ppm) | Threshold at which prolonged exposure can have adverse effects on the body and brain. |
50 parts per million (ppm) | Safety level as specified by the Health and Safety Executive for a maximum of 30 minutes. |
200 PPM | Slight headache within 2-3 hours. |
400 PPM | Frontal headache within 1-2 hours, becoming widespread in 3 hours. |
800 PPM | Dizziness, nausea, convulsions within 45 minutes, insensible in 2 hours. |
See our carbon monoxide information page for more details.
(doc:536 V1.0). Our articles are reviewed regularly. However, any changes made to standards or legislation following the review date will not have been considered. Please note that we provide abridged, easy-to-understand guidance. To make detailed decisions about your fire safety provisions, you might require further advice or need to consult the full standards and legislation.