New smoke alarm laws are coming. All new and existing homes, townhouses and units must have interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms installed by 1 January 2027 to comply with Australian Standard 3786-2014.
Interconnected compliant smoke alarms means when one goes off, they all go off.
Smoke alarms in all homes must:
- be photoelectric
- comply with the Standard AS3786-2014, which is marked on the body of the alarm.
- be hardwired installed by a licensed electrician to the mains power with a secondary power source (e.g. non-removable 10-year battery, or a user-replaceable 9V battery)
- be interconnected with every other smoke alarm in the dwelling so all activate and go off together.
- not contain an ionisation sensor.
- be less than 10 years old
- work when tested, and
Smoke alarms must be installed on each level:
- in each bedroom
- in hallways that connect bedrooms or if there is no hallway, in rooms that connect to bedrooms, and
- if there are no bedrooms on a level at least one smoke alarm must be installed in the path of travel to exit the building.
Smoke alarms must be hard-wired or powered by a non-removable 10-year battery. Where possible, smoke alarms must be positioned on the ceiling and not:
- within 300mm of a corner
- within 300mm of a light
- within 400mm of an air-conditioning vent, or
- within 400mm of the blades of a ceiling fan.
There are special requirements for stairwells, sloping ceilings, and ceilings with exposed beams explained in the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008.
If the location requirements are not possible, the alarm can be put in another place that will still provide a warning.
All homes must be fully compliant by 1 January 2027.
New and renovated homes
As part of a building approval process for new homes and homes being largely renovated, a Building Certifier will make sure smoke alarms comply with the law, as detailed in the National Construction Code (NCC).
Current requirements for smoke alarms came into effect in Queensland on 1 January 2017 due to changes to the Fire and Emergency Act 2008.
Building approval applications for new building work or substantial renovations to Class 1a or a sole occupancy unit of a Class 2 building need to allow for installation of photoelectric smoke alarms complying with AS 3786-2014 Smoke alarms using scattered light, transmitted light or ionisation.
For the purposes of the Act, "substantial’ is any alteration or previous structural alteration approved or completed in the previous three years that represents more than half the volume of the existing building or structure measured over its roof and external walls.
Photoelectric or ionisation?
Smoke alarms containing an ionisation sensor or a combined ionization/photoelectric sensor can no longer be installed in domestic buildings as they are prone to result in nuisance alarms.
Photoelectric smoke alarms need to be interconnected and hardwired to the domestic building's electricity supply. They must be on or near the ceiling in every bedroom, in the following locations:
- Any storey containing bedrooms:
- Between each part of the dwelling containing bedrooms and the remainder of the dwelling; and
- Where bedrooms are served by a hallway, in that hallway; and
- Any other storey not containing bedrooms and/or egress paths for a Class 2 sole occupancy unit.
These requirements don’t apply to a sole occupancy unit in a Class 2 building if a smoke detection system complying with National Construction Code (NCC) 2022, Volume 1 specifications.
Compliance
A building certifier will generally seek confirmation from the installer that electrical systems comply with the approved design. They will normally accept certificates (Form 12) from the installing electricians, but if they’re not going to conduct further checking, they’ll need to assess the individual to be a competent person.
Check out the Department of Energy and Public Works website for further guidelines.
Timeframes
The following timeframes apply to phase-in the installation of photoelectric smoke alarms:
- For new building work or substantial renovations to Class 1a or a sole occupancy unit of a Class 2 building, compliance is required if the application for a building development approval is made after 31 December 2016.
- Expired or faulty smoke alarms in existing dwellings must be replaced with photoelectric smoke alarms from 1 January 2017. Interconnection and durable power sources must apply to replacements in existing dwellings from 1 January 2027.
- After five years: dwellings that are sold or when new tenancy or renewed leases occur must comply from 1 January 2022
- After 10 years: All Class 1a or a sole occupancy unit of a Class 2 building must comply from 1 January 2027.
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