For kitchen, garage or workshop use, fire services also recommend fitting a heat alarm. These sense hot air rather than smoke, and trigger when the air in the sensor chamber reaches a specific temperature, which is usually 58°C. Heat alarms are slower to respond than actual smoke alarms, but they’re also not as prone to false alarms. They won’t go off when you’re grilling sausages or burning toast, but they still provide ample warning if something catches fire in your kitchen. Pros: Can suit dustier areas, such as lofts, the area near your bathroom or rooms where people smoke. In Scotland, since February 2022, interlinked smoke and heat alarms have needed to be fitted in all homes.

Smoke particles change the balance of the current. When this happens a signal is sent to the integrated circuit and the alarm sounds. Pros: Good for bedrooms, landings and hallways, and near to kitchens as they aren’t as prone to false alarms from cooking. Interlinked smoke alarms will use the same optical or ionisation technology mentioned above, so, they're not a type of alarm in their own right.An interesting by-product of the new breed of smart alarms is the fire-related data being collected, as is the case with Google, which makes the Nest Protect smoke and CO alarm. Google told us that it uses data from its alarms to provide ‘meaningful insights’ for its customers and to improve the product. Heat (thermal) alarms detect heat (hot air) instead of smoke. The alarm is triggered when the temperature within the sensor chamber reaches over 58 degrees Celsius – generally when a fire is well established.

Their distinguishing feature is the fact that they can be linked to other alarms, both heat and smoke alarms, so that when one senses danger they all sound. If it does go off inadvertently, the large, central test/mute button makes it easy to silence, saving your ears from a thrashing. As with the Pro Connected, it buys you ten minutes to clear the air, while a “sleep easy” function gets you eight hours of quiet if you press the button once the low battery warning starts. Little touches such as this elevate the ST-622Q above your run-of-the-mill smoke alarms, making it one of the best options for most households. This also allows the sensor threshold level to be increased, thereby improving the signal to noise ratio and reducing susceptibility to false alarms. The ALN-EN(BLK) smoke chamber is easily removed or replaced for cleaning and utilises a unique improved baffle design which allows smoke to enter the chamber whilst keeping out ambient light.You can put them in kitchens and garages because they’re not prone to false alarms from cooking or exhaust fumes. But they are slower to respond than smoke alarms. Fire and rescue services attended over 150,000 fires last year in England alone, and while the number of fire fatalities dropped to their lowest ever figure, 240 people still lost their lives. Buying a smoke alarm is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your home, your life and the lives of your family and friends. It can give you early warning of a fire before it spreads, and the best chance of getting everyone safely out of the house.

Some smart models sound an alarm on your smartphone and through the alarm itself when triggered – this is the most helpful kind of smart alarm. Wireless devices communicate with each other and other devices without the use of connecting wires. This can be through interlinking by radio or through wi-fi. All of the major manufacturers (Aico, FireAngel and Kidde) make smoke and heat alarms that will work in combination with one another and we have tested pairs of smoke and heat alarms from each of them.If you buy a battery-powered smoke alarm (rather than a mains-powered one), you'll need to decide whether you want one with a replaceable 9V battery, or sealed fixed-life battery These alarms are more sensitive to smaller particles of smoke produced by the flaming stage of fires than optical alarms, and more easily triggered by cooking – causing false alarms. We test smoke alarms using an aerosol tester, sprayed in the direction of the alarm for up to five seconds from a distance of 30cm. If the alarm doesn’t respond within four seconds, we don’t recommend it. Having completed this functional test, we take a careful look at any controls, screens, or indicators to see how clear and effective these are. So if you’re out of your home and not near your phone when the messages come through, you’ll have no way of knowing the alarm was sounding.

As of February 2022, the Nest protect smoke and CO alarm no longer meet the requirements of the new Scottish alarm laws. This is because, while it can be linked to other Nest alarms, it has no way of detecting heat rises or of being linked to another heat alarm. Horizontal optical bench housing infra-red emitter and sensor, arranged radially to detect forward scattered light. Weight On a lighter note, Google’s data also revealed that the day when smoke alarms are most likely to sound in the UK is pancake day. Is the Nest Protect smoke and CO alarm suitable for homes in Scotland now that the law has changed? Interlinking when one alarm goes off, all the connected detectors are activated. This can be particularly useful in a larger house.

As smoke enters, the infrared light is scattered onto the photodiode light receptor, triggering an alarm. They detect the larger smoke particles from slower smouldering fires. If you own a Nest smoke and CO alarm, you will be able to continue to use it but it will need to be in addition to interlinked smoke and heat alarms. Now that the alarms law has changed in Scotland, you'll need to install interlinked heat and smoke alarms in your home. The latter are pricier when you buy for the first time, but you won't have to factor in the expense of replacement battery costs. Different makes and models will be slower or faster to detect smoke coming through and have different alarms working at different volumes. Some even feature voice alarms or strobing lights. However, any alarms sold in the UK have to meet BS EN 14604:2005, which specifies the requirements, tests and performance criteria for smoke alarms using optical or ionisation sensors. Heat alarms are governed by the separate BS 5446-3:2003 standard.